Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Luke 7:50

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Luke 7:50. Thy faith hath saved thee — Thy faith hath been the instrument of receiving the salvation which is promised to those who repent. Go in peace. Though peace of conscience be the inseparable consequence of the pardon of sin, yet here it seems to be used as a valediction or farewell: as if he had said, May goodness and mercy continue to follow thee! In this sense it is certainly used Judges 18:6; 1 Samuel 1:17; 1 Samuel 20:42; 1 Samuel 29:7; 2 Samuel 15:9; James 2:16.

THE affecting account of raising the widow's son to life, Luke 7:11-17, is capable of farther improvement. The following may be considered to be sober, pious uses of this transaction.

In this resurrection of the widow's son, four things are highly worthy of notice:-1. The meeting. 2. What Christ did to raise the dead man. 3. What the man did when raised to life: and 4. The effect produced on the minds of the people.

I. The MEETING.

1. It was uncommon: it was a meeting of life and death, of consolation and distress. On the one part JESUS, accompanied by his disciples, and an innumerable crowd of people, advance towards the gate of the city of Nain: on the other part, a funeral solemnity proceeds out of the gate, - a person of distinction, as we may imagine from the number of the people who accompanied the corpse, is carried out to be buried. Wherever Jesus goes, he meets death or misery; and wherever he comes, he dispenses life and salvation.

2. It was instructive. A young man was carried to the grave - an only son - cut off in the flower of his age from the pleasures, honours, profits, and expectations of life; a multitude of relatives, friends, and neighbours, in tears, affliction, and distress, accompanied the corpse. Behold the present life in its true point of light! How deceitful is the world! To hide its vanity and wretchedness, funeral pomp takes the place of the decorations of life and health; and pride, which carries the person through life, cleaves to the putrid carcass in the ridiculous adornments of palls, scarfs, cloaks, and feathers! Sin has a complete triumph, when pride is one of the principal bearers to the tomb.

And shall not the living lay these things to heart? Remember, ye that are young, the young die oftener than the old; and it is because so many of the former die, that there are so few of the latter to die.

3. It was an affecting meeting. The mother of this young man followed the corpse of her son; her distress was extreme. She had already lost her husband, and in losing her only son she loses all that could be reckoned dear to her in the world. She lost her support, her glory, and the name of her family from among the tribes of her people. Jesus sees her in this state of affliction, and was moved with compassion towards her. This God of goodness cannot see the wretched without commiserating their state, and providing for their salvation.

4. It was a happy meeting. Jesus approaches this distressed widow, and says, Weep not. But who, with propriety, can give such advice in a case like this? Only that God who can dry up the fountain of grief, and remove the cause of distress. Weep for thy sin, weep for thy relatives, weep after Christ, and God will infallibly comfort thee.

II. What Christ did to raise this dead man.

1. He came up, Luke 7:14. When the blessed God is about to save a soul from spiritual death, he comes up to the heart by the light of his Spirit, by the preaching of his word, and by a thousand other methods, which all prove that his name is mercy, and his nature love.

2. He touched the bier. God often stretches out his hand against the matter or occasion of sin, renders that public that was before hidden, lays afflictions upon the body; by some evil disease effaces that beauty, or impairs that strength, which were the occasions of sin; disconcerts the schemes and blasts the property of the worldly man. These were carrying him down to the chambers of death, and the merciful God is thus delivering him out of the hands of his murderers.

3. He commanded-Young man! I say unto thee, Arise. Sinners! You have been dead in trespasses and sins too long: now hear the voice of the Son of God. Young people! to you in particular is this commandment addressed. Delay not a moment: it will be more easy for you to return to God now than at any future time. And perhaps the present call may never be repeated. The sooner you hear the voice of God, the sooner you shall be happy.

III. What the man did when raised to life.

1. He sat up, Luke 7:15. When the quickening voice of God reaches the heart of a sinner, his first business is to lift up his head to contemplate the awful state in which he is found, and the horrible pit over which he hangs, and look about for a deliverer from the hell that is moved from beneath to meet him at his coming.

2. He began to speak. Prayer to God, for the salvation he needs, is indispensably requisite to every awakened sinner. Let him speak in prayer and praise; prayer for present salvation, and praise, because he is still out of hell. Let him also declare the power and goodness of God which have thus rescued him from the bitter pains of an eternal death.

3. He walked. He (Christ) presented him to his mother. Those who were carrying the corpse having heard the voice of the young man, immediately laid down the bier, and the young man stepping directly on the ground, Jesus took him by the hand and conducted him to his mother. What a change from the deepest affliction to the highest ecstacy of joy must have now taken place in this widow's heart! Happy moment! - when the quickening power of Christ restores a prodigal son to a disconsolate parent, and a member to Christ's mystical body, the Church militant!

IV. The effect produced on the minds of the people.

1. Fear seized them, Luke 7:16. A religious reverence penetrated their hearts, while witnessing the effects of the sovereign power of Christ. Thus should we contemplate the wonders of God's grace in the conviction and conversion of sinners.

2. They glorified God. They plainly saw that he had now visited his people: the miracle proclaimed his presence, and that a great prophet was risen among them, and they expect to be speedily instructed in all righteousness. The conversion of a sinner to God should be matter of public joy to all that fear his name; and should be considered as a full proof that the God of our fathers is still among their children. See Luke 7:16.

3. They published abroad the account. The work of the grace of God should be made known to all: the Gospel should be preached in every place; and the miracle-working power of Christ every where recommended to notice. If those who are raised from the death of sin were more zealous in discoursing of, walking in, and recommending the Gospel of the grace of God, the kingdom of Christ would soon have a more extensive spread; and the souls thus employed would be incessantly watered from on high.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

51. In the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50)

Like most Pharisees, Simon no doubt kept the laws of holiness and thought that God was more pleased with him than with socially despised people such as tax collectors and prostitutes. He was therefore surprised that Jesus allowed a prostitute to wash his feet. In Simon’s view this showed that Jesus did not have divine knowledge, otherwise he would know the sort of person the woman was and would not allow her to touch him (Luke 7:36-39).

Jesus knew Simon’s thoughts, so told a story to contrast Simon’s attitude with the woman’s (Luke 7:40-43). Simon had never come to Jesus in search of forgiveness, because he had never felt the need. Consequently, he had no reason to feel any love or gratitude towards Jesus. The woman, however, had apparently heard Jesus’ message of forgiveness and, being sorry for her sins, trusted in his forgiving love. She then showed her love and gratitude in the most meaningful way she new (Luke 7:44-50).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Far more than forgiveness, salvation itself was thus extended to Simon’s impromptu guest. What about her obedience? It was assured. "If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments," Jesus said; and here was one who truly loved him. She was not saved by "faith only."

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace - See the notes at Mark 5:34.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

50.Thy faith hath saved thee. To repress those murmurings, ⁽²⁵¹⁾ and, at the same time, to confirm the woman, Christ commends her faith. Let others grumble as they may, but do thou adhere steadfastly to that faith which has brought thee an undoubted salvation. ⁽²⁵²⁾ At the same time, Christ claims for himself the authority which had been given to him by the Father; for, as he possesses the power of healing, to him faith is properly directed. And this intimates that the woman was not led by rashness or mistake to come to him, but that, through the guidance of the Spirit, she had preserved the straight road of faith. Hence it follows, that we cannot believe in any other than the Son of God, without considering that person to have the disposal of life and death. If the true reason for believing in Christ be, that God hath given him authority to forgive sins, whenever faith is rendered to another, that honor which is due to Christ must of necessity be taken from him. This saying refutes also the error of those who imagine that the forgiveness of sins is purchased by charity; for Christ lays down a quite different method, which is, that we embrace by faith the offered mercy. The last clause, Go in peace, denotes that inestimable fruit of faith which is so frequently commended in Scripture. It brings peace and joy to the consciences, and prevents them from being driven hither and thither by uneasiness and alarm.

(251) “Pour reprimer les murmures de ces gens;” — “to repress the murmurings of those people.”

(252) “Qui t’a apporte certitude de salut;” — “which has brought thee certainty of salvation.”

Smith's Bible Commentary

Let's turn now in our Bibles to Luke's gospel, chapter 7. At this point in Luke's gospel he is going to give us series of events, miracles that transpired in the life of Jesus.

When he ended these sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loves our nation, and he has build us a synagogue ( Luke 7:1-5 ).

The Roman centurions were special men. They are mentioned several times in the scriptures, and always in a favorable light. They were always, it seems, outstanding men. We remember the Roman centurion Cornelius in Caesarea. It was while he was in prayer that the Lord spoke to him, and commanded that he should send his servants to Joppa in order to get Peter to come down and teach them the way of the Lord more completely. And so it was in the Roman centurion's house in Caesarea that the gospel was first preached to the Gentiles, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon his house, and those that were with him. As God began His work among the Gentiles, actually in the house of a Roman centurion. So they are mentioned several times in the scriptures, always in a kind and favorable light.

This centurion in Capernaum was declared to be a worthy person by the Jewish leaders, who came to Jesus on his behalf. They said that he was worthy for whom He should do this. This is interesting to me, because the Jewish people, even to the present day, and I am certain that it doesn't have it's roots in the New Testament, but to the present day they have awards that they give to worthy people. And it is a phrase that they yet use today. In fact, I've been awarded a worthy person by the Jewish community, whatever that might mean. And I haven't found out yet, but I don't know that I fully want to. But I think it's good, because they were smiling when they awarded me. But it's a title that they still give today for a person who has, and I suppose it is a person outside of the Jewish faith, who has shown kindness and consideration to the Jews would be my estimation of this title. And such was the case with the Roman centurion. He has build a synagogue for them, and he loved their nation. And so having this as his credential, the Jewish leaders came and besought Jesus to do the favor for him by healing his servant.

It was unusual for a master to have a close relationship with his servant. The servants in the Roman Empire really had no rights whatsoever. And there was a Roman writer who said that every year a man should take stock of his possessions, and should hold on to that which is still producing and beneficial, and should get rid of that which was no longer productive. And included in that getting rid of that which was no longer productive was a slave who was no longer capable of putting out a day's work. And so when he got to that place, he would just be put out, and left to die. For he had no other recourse. The slave was so much a part of, just a possession of his master, that in the Roman Empire a master could put his slave to death and not face any charges for it. After all, you're just destroying your own property. So for him to have this attitude towards a slave was unusual in itself. And it does show that he is one of those men above the ordinary. He loved this slave very much, and was concerned because he was almost dead.

Then Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, then centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, do not trouble yourself; for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed ( Luke 7:6-7 ).

Now the commendation that the Jewish leaders had given to Jesus is, this man is worthy. As he answers or responds when he finds out that Jesus is getting close to his house, sending other friends, he said, "I am not worthy that You should come under my roof." He used a different word for worthy. But then he did say, using the same word for worthy, "neither did I think myself worthy to come to Thee."

In that culture it was unlawful for a Jew to enter the home of a Gentile. He knew for Jesus to come into his house would be putting a strain upon Jesus. When Peter entered the house of Cornelius, he apologized for doing so. He had taken some Jewish friends with him from Joppa. And he apologized for doing so. He said, "You know it isn't lawful for me to assemble with you fellows, to come to this house, but the Lord told me not to ask any questions, so I am here, what do you want?" But he was apologizing for entering into the house of a Gentile, because that was forbidden to the Jew.

So he is saying to Jesus, "I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. I didn't even feel I was worthy to come to You."

It is interesting when we remember when the woman from the area of Sidon came to Jesus concerning her daughter, who she said was vexed with a devil, and Jesus didn't answer. The disciples said, "Lord, do something for her, she is bugging us; she is driving us crazy." And Jesus said, "It isn't right to give the children's bread to the dogs." Now, Jesus was declaring that these benefits that He was bringing were for the Jews. This centurion did not feel worthy to come to Jesus and ask that Jesus would even come. And was sort of embarrassed that Jesus was coming. But then he made a remarkable statement. He said, "Just say the word. You don't have to come; I am not worthy that you should come. Just say the word and my servant will be healed. For I understand authority."

For I also [recognizing that Jesus had authority, I also] am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers ( Luke 7:8 ),

"I am a man who is under authority, and I have under me soldiers. I understand what authority is about. I submit to an authority, but I also have authority. And I understand how authority works. I also," recognizing now that Jesus had this authority, "I also am a man under authority, having under me men, or men set under authority, having under me men."

And I can say unto one, Go, and he goes; and to another I say, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he will do it. When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and he turned about to the people that were following him, and he said unto them, I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel ( Luke 7:8-9 ).

Among the Jews, to whom He came, He did not see as much faith as this centurion.

So they that were sent, when they got home, found the servant that had been so sick, [nearly dead] was alive and well. So it came to pass the day after ( Luke 7:10-11 ),

Now this is at Capernaum.

he went into a city called Nain ( Luke 7:11 );

Nain is about twenty-five miles from Capernaum.

and many of his disciples went with him, and a lot of people. Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man being carried out, and he was the only son of a mother, who was a widow: and many people of the city were with her. And when the [Jesus or the] Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not ( Luke 7:11-13 ).

The picture could not be more pathetic. A woman who was a widow, following the procession, as her only son is being carried out for burial.

Now, in those days they did not have caskets. They usually carried them in baskets and put them in a sarcophagus. The word sarcophagus from the Latin means flesh eater. They have these lime stone sarcophaguses there in Israel. In fact, you can see them just in excavations where they dug for a highway. They uncover them, and they just leave them set there on the sides, and you can find them all over. There is something about the limestone that eats away the flesh very rapidly. In fact, within a month or so, and thus, the name sarcophagus, the flesh eater. And so they would usually place them in the sarcophagus until the flesh was eaten away, and then they would later bury the bones.

And so he was being carried, probably in a basket, to the place of burial, either a cave, or sarcophagus. And the mother with the crowd, the sad pathetic scene. And they didn't just weep, they wailed. And Jesus had compassion on her. In the Greek there is no word that is more expressive of feeling sympathy than the word used here, translated compassion. And it is used many times of Jesus. It's the strongest Greek word that expresses the deepest kind of feeling towards a person. Jesus had compassion on her, and said unto her, "Weep not."

And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And Jesus delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear upon all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God has visited his people ( Luke 7:14-16 ).

This term, "God has visited His people," if you go back to the first chapter at the birth of John the Baptist when God opened the mouth of Zacharias, his father, he began to prophesy, and some of the first words of that prophesy back there in chapter 1, where, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited His people." And so here the people are declaring, "God has visited His people." The fulfillment of this prophesy of Zacharias.

And this story of him went forth throughout all of Judea ( Luke 7:17 ),

Now Judea is unto the south sixty-seventy miles. So this story really spread concerning this young man who was dead, brought back to life by Jesus.

and throughout all of the regions there around about the Galilee region. And the disciples of John were telling John about all of these things. And John called him two of his disciples and he sent them to Jesus, saying, Are you the one that is to come? or should we look for another? And when the men were come unto him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us unto thee, saying, Are thou he that should come? or should we look for another? ( Luke 7:17-20 )

Now in John's gospel, he tells us that when John saw the Spirit of God descending upon Jesus, that he knew that He was the Messiah. For the Lord told him that upon whomever you see the Spirit descend, He is the one. And so John, in referring to Jesus, said to his own disciples, "Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." And he pointed men to Jesus Christ.

Now John has been in the dungeon for a while, Herod's prisoner. He does not like confined quarters, for he is a man of the outdoors. He grew up in the wilderness. He was a man of the woods, sort of speak. And this confinement, no doubt, was very irritating to him. And would imagine that John, like the other disciples of Jesus, was anticipating the immediate establishing of the kingdom of God. And he was probably wondering, "How long am I going to sit in this prison?" And the question, "Are you the Messiah?" was not so much a question, as was sort of an urging, "Let's get things going; let's get moving." It could be that the fact that Jesus did not immediately establish the kingdom, overthrow Herod, and the Romans, that John did have second thoughts. Whatever be the case, the response of Jesus is quite interesting.

In that very same hour he cured many of their infirmities and of their plagues, and of the evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. And Jesus answering said unto him, Go your way, and tell John the things which you have seen and heard; how the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me ( Luke 7:21-23 ).

Now Jesus said to His disciples, "Believe Me, or else believe Me for My works' sake." Again He said, "The works that I do, they do testify of Me." Jesus pointed to His works as a testimony to His identity who He was. "My works bear witness, they do testify of Me. And if you don't believe Me," He said, "believe Me for My works' sake." So He called upon His works as the witness as to His authority and to His identity. And they form a very strong witness as to His identity and His authority. Because no man can do these things, except the Lord be with him.

The works that He was doing were the works that were prophesied of the kingdom age. And, of course, that's what John was concerned about, the kingdom. "Are you the One? Why haven't You set up the kingdom? Are You the One, or shall we look for another?" And the works that He was doing were works that were the fulfillment of the kingdom age. Where the lame would leap as the deer, the blind would behold the glory of the Lord, and the dumb would sing praises unto Him. And unto the poor the gospel would be preached.

He just said, "Go back and tell John." He knew that John knew the scriptures. He knew the scriptures well enough that when they come back and tell John the things that they saw, the things that they heard, that John would know the scriptures well enough to know, that, yes, He was indeed the promised one.

So when the messengers from John departed, Jesus began to speak to the people concerning John, and he said, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaking in the wind? ( Luke 7:24 )

Now the area where John was baptizing, the Jordan River, was surrounded by these reeds. They were a very, very common sight. And obviously they didn't go down to the Jordan River just to see reeds blowing in the wind. "What did you go out to see, reeds blowing in the wind?" No!

What did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? ( Luke 7:25 )

That is, a man who was robed in beautiful robes. And then in a bit of satire, Jesus said:

Behold, they which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts ( Luke 7:25 ).

They're not in the kings' dungeons.

But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say unto you, much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist ( Luke 7:26-28 ):

And so Jesus puts John at the top of the list of those prophets that had been sent by God to the Jewish people. Of all of the men born of women, not a greater than John the Baptist. But then an extremely remarkable statement.

but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he ( Luke 7:28 ).

The privileges that you have as a child of God living in this age are superior to the highest position under the old dispensation, where God related to man in a legal way, through the law. Now those who related to God from that legalistic background, the greatest of all was John the Baptist. And yet, he who is least in the kingdom of God has greater privileges, a deeper relationship with God through the Holy Spirit, than the highest of that prior dispensation. For we have not a legal, but a loving relationship with God.

And all the people that heard Him, and the publicans [that is, the tax collectors], justified God ( Luke 7:29 ),

They declared, "Yes, that 's right."

because they had been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, because they were not baptized by him ( Luke 7:29-30 ).

Jesus used this later on when they were asking Him a bunch of questions that He didn't want to answer at that moment. He said, "I'll ask you a question. If you answer My question, I'll answer yours. John's baptism, was it of God, or was it of man?" And they knew that if they said it was of man, then all the people would turn against them, because they all believed John was a prophet. But if they said it's of God, then Jesus say, "Then why weren't you baptized by John?" So they said, "Well, we can't answer You that question." Jesus said, "Well, I don't answer you yours either."

But He used this. Here was the division, it was marked, the opinions concerning John. He was officially rejected by the religious leaders, but widely accepted by the people.

And so the Lord said, What shall I liken this generation to? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace, and calling to each other, they say, We've played our pipes, and you have not danced; and we've mourned with you, but you've not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and you say, He has a devil. But the Son of man is come eating and drinking; and you say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of the tax collectors and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all of her children ( Luke 7:31-35 ).

In other words, "What do you want? You are in a position that nothing satisfies you. John came living in a sedic life, and you say he has a devil. I came mixing with people, eating with the publicans and all, and you say, 'Hey, He is a winebibber; He is a gluttonous man.' What do you want?"

One of the Pharisees desired that he would eat with him. And Jesus went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat [that is to eat dinner]. And, behold, there was a woman in the city, which was a sinner, and when she knew that Jesus was sitting in the Pharisee's house for dinner, she brought an alabaster box of ointment, and she stood at his feet behind him weeping, and she began to wash his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and she kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment. Now when the Pharisees which had bidden him saw it, within himself he thought, If this man were a prophet, and if he had known what kind of a woman this is that is touching him: [He wouldn't allow her to do that] because she is a terrible sinner. And Jesus said unto him, Simon, I have something to ask you. He said, Go head and ask it, Lord. And Jesus said, There was a certain creditor who had two debtors: the one owed him five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he completely forgave both their debts. Tell me therefore, which of them loves him the more? And Simon answered and said, Oh, I suppose that he, whom he forgave the most. And Jesus said unto him, That's right. And He turned to the woman, and he said unto Simon, You see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. You did not give me a kiss: but this woman since the time I came in has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil you did not anoint: but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little ( Luke 7:36-47 ).

Simon was a rude host. And in that culture hospitality was something that was treasured highly. When you invited guests to your home, they would leave their sandals at the door, but immediately there would be a servant there with a towel and with a basin of water, and the host would provide that servant to wash your feet in order that you might come into the house to dine. Of course, they wore open sandals; they had dirt pathways that they walked on, and it was just a common, accepted courtesy that the guests that were invited would have their feet washed by the servant when they entered the door of the house. And then it was customary to greet your friends with a kiss. Usually it was a kiss on each cheek. This was just common. And, in fact, in some of those areas it is still practiced today. Italy, the men in the church when they come up and greet you, kiss you on both cheeks. And it's a sort of a beautiful, loving thing. But it was common in that culture. And then also it was common to anoint with oil. To pour oil on the head of the guest. Which was a symbol of the joy that you'd hoped to share together that evening. And they would then serve you your first cup of coffee, no sugar, strong Turkish type coffee, bitter. The idea being that you are washing away now all of the bitter experiences that you've had. The second cup they offer you is very sweet. Symbolic of that sweet time that we can now share together, that all of the bitterness was taken away.

Simon was a poor host. He did not show to Jesus any of these common courtesies. He did not wash Jesus' feet. He did not anoint His head with oil. Nor did he kiss Him when He entered the house. But this woman washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, kissed His feet continually, and anointed His feet with ointment. And here is Simon the Pharisee sitting there in his pompous, self-righteous attitudes and all, and, "If He were really a prophet, He wouldn't allow this to go on. He'd know what kind of a woman she was. And He wouldn't allow her to touch Him." You see, Simon wouldn't touch that woman. Because if you touched her, you'd be considered unclean; she was a sinner. "Don't let that woman touch me."

I am glad that Jesus is touchable, even by sinners. I appreciate that so much. I can reach out and touch the Lord, no matter how badly I feel. He is always within reach.

And so Jesus gave to Simon this little parable about the fellow who had two debtors. One owed him five hundred pence, and the other fifty pence. He forgave both their debts. Which one loves him the more? The one forgiven the most. And so Jesus said, "Yes, that's right. And this woman, because her sins are many and are forgiven, loves Me the most."

And so He said to the woman, and I am sure this is just to get Simon's goat,

He said to the woman, Your sins are forgiven ( Luke 7:48 ).

And it had the reaction, I am sure, He was expecting.

And they that were sitting at dinner with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee ( Luke 7:49-50 );

Oh, oh, isn't this interesting. Jesus is bringing to men a whole new relationship to God. A relationship that is based on faith, and salvation through faith. And here this woman's faith puts her a step ahead, and already into that new dispensation of God's grace.

Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace ( Luke 7:50 ).

Always the result for having our sins forgiven.

"

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

4. The anointing by a sinful woman 7:36-50

This incident, appearing only in Luke’s Gospel, illustrates the truth just expressed in Luke 7:35. Here is a case in point of what Jesus had just described happening (Luke 7:34). Jesus reached out to a sinner only to receive criticism from a fastidious Pharisee. The love that the woman lavished on Jesus contrasts with Simon the Pharisee’s lack of love for Him. The motif of Jesus’ identity is also significant in this story since Jesus had forgiven the woman’s sins, and this raised a question about His authority. Again Luke featured a woman in his narrative showing Jesus’ concern for women. There are some similarities between this story and the one about Mary anointing Jesus’ feet in Simon the leper’s house, but that was a different incident (cf. Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8).

". . . the story of the sinful woman in the Pharisee’s house reminds us of the previous conflict over Jesus’ authority to release sins, suggesting that this is a continuing conflict. This reminder may also help readers to recall Jesus’ basic claim of authority to release sins in Luke 5:24." [Note: Tannehill, 1:106.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Jesus concluded the incident by giving the woman a further word of encouragement and clarification. It was her faith, not her love, that had resulted in her salvation, of which her forgiveness was a part. Consequently she could depart at peace about her condition even though others might continue to regard her as a "sinner" (cf. Luke 8:48; Luke 17:19; Luke 18:42). Here salvation has the larger meaning of spiritual deliverance. This is clear because of Jesus’ previous comments about forgiveness and the lack of reference to physical deliverance (i.e., healing). Likewise the common Jewish farewell, "May God’s peace be yours" (Judges 18:6; 1 Samuel 1:17; 2 Samuel 15:9; 1 Kings 22:17; Acts 16:36; James 2:16), assumes a larger meaning when connected with spiritual salvation. This woman was able to go into a lasting condition of peace because of her faith (cf. Romans 5:1).

". . . Luke 7:36-50 is the first of three reported occasions (see Luke 11:37-54; Luke 14:1-24) on which Jesus is invited to dine at a Pharisee’s house, and each of the three is a comparatively lengthy scene. This type-scene repetition suggests that this is a characteristic situation during Jesus’ ministry and one of special interest to the narrator. Each of these scenes is an occasion of conflict." [Note: Tannehill, 1:178.]

"Jesus’ parable of the two debtors and His comments to Simon and the woman teach a number of lessons: (a) Salvation is the result of God’s gracious work received by faith. (b) God graciously forgives the debt of sin that no one can repay. (c) Peace with God is possible because of the forgiveness of sins. (d) The more one understands forgiveness, the more love he will have for Christ. (e) Humble service stems from a heart of gratitude for God’s grace." [Note: Bailey, p. 117.]

Barclay's Daily Study Bible

Chapter 7

A SOLDIER'S FAITH ( Luke 7:1-10 )

7:1-10 When Jesus had completed all his words in the hearing of the people, he went into Capernaum. The servant of a certain centurion was so ill that he was going to die, and he was very dear to him. When he heard about Jesus he sent some Jewish elders to him and asked him to come and save his servant's life. They came to Jesus and strenuously urged him to come. "He is," they said, "a man who deserves that you should do this for him, for he loves our nation and has himself built us our synagogue." So Jesus went with them. When he was now quite near the house the centurion sent friends to him. "Sir," he said, "do not trouble yourself. I am not worthy that you should come under my roof; nor do I count myself fit to come to you; but just speak a word and my servant will be cured. For I myself am a man under orders, and I have soldiers under me, and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him. He turned to the crowd who were following him and said, "I tell you I have not found such great faith not even in Israel." And those who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant completely cured.

The central character is a Roman centurion; and he was no ordinary man.

(i) The mere fact that he was a centurion meant he was no ordinary man. A centurion was the equivalent of a regimental sergeant-major; and the centurions were the backbone of the Roman army. Wherever they are spoken of in the New Testament they are spoken of well (compare Luke 23:1-56; Lk 47 ; Acts 10:22; Acts 22:26; Acts 23:17; Acts 23:23-24; Acts 24:23; Acts 27:43). Polybius, the historian, describes their qualifications. They must be not so much "seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over anxious to rush into the fight; but when hard pressed they must be ready to hold their ground and die at their posts." The centurion must have been a man amongst men or he would never have held the post which was his.

(ii) He had a completely unusual attitude to his slave. He loved this slave and would go to any trouble to save him. In Roman law a slave was defined as a living tool; he had no rights; a master could ill-treat him and even kill him if he chose. A Roman writer on estate management recommends the farmer to examine his implements every year and to throw out those which are old and broken, and to do the same with his slaves. Normally when a slave was past his work he was thrown out to die. The attitude of this centurion to his slave was quite unusual.

(iii) He was clearly a deeply religious man. A man needs to be more than superficially interested before he will go the length of building a synagogue. It is true that the Romans encouraged religion from the cynical motive that it kept people in order. They regarded it as the opiate of the people. Augustus recommended the building of synagogues for that very reason. As Gibbon said in a famous sentence, "The various modes of religion which prevailed in the Roman world were all considered by the people as equally true; by the philosopher as equally false; and by the magistrate as equally useful." But this centurion was no administrative cynic; he was a sincerely religious man.

(iv) He had an extremely unusual attitude to the Jews. If the Jews despised the gentiles, the gentiles hated the Jews. Anti-semitism is not a new thing. The Romans called the Jews a filthy race; they spoke of Judaism as a barbarous superstition; they spoke of the Jewish hatred of mankind; they accused the Jews of worshipping an ass's head and annually sacrificing a gentile stranger to their God. True, many of the gentiles, weary of the many gods and loose morals of paganism, had accepted the Jewish doctrine of the one God and the austere Jewish ethic. But the whole atmosphere of this story implies a close bond of friendship between this centurion and the Jews.

(v) He was a humble man. He knew quite well that a strict Jew was forbidden by the law to enter the house of a gentile ( Acts 10:28); just as he was forbidden to allow a gentile into his house or have any communication with him. He would not even come to Jesus himself. He persuaded his Jewish friends to approach him. This man who was accustomed to command had an amazing humility in the presence of true greatness.

(vi) He was a man of faith. His faith is based on the soundest argument. He argued from the here and now to the there and then. He argued from his own experience to God. If his authority produced the results it did, how much more must that of Jesus? He came with that perfect confidence which looks up and says, "Lord, I know you can do this." If only we had a faith like that, for us too the miracle would happen and life become new.

THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST ( Luke 7:11-17 )

7:11-17 Next, after that, Jesus was on his way to a town called Nain; and his disciples and a great crowd accompanied him on the journey. When he came near the gate of the town--look you--a man who had died was being carried out to burial. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow. There was a great crowd of towns-people with her. When the Lord saw her he was moved to the depths of his heart for her and said to her, "Don't go on weeping!" He went up and touched the bier. Those who were carrying it stood still. "Young man," he said, "I tell you, rise!" And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And he gave him back to his mother. And awe gripped them all. They glorified God saying, "A great prophet has been raised up amongst us," and, "God has graciously visited his people." This story about him went out in all Judaea and all the surrounding countryside.

In this passage, as in the one immediately preceding, once again Luke the doctor speaks. In Luke 7:10 the word we translated completely cured is the technical medical term for sound in wind and limb. In Luke 7:15 the word used for sitting up is the technical term for a patient sitting up in bed.

Nain was a day's journey from Capernaum and lay between Endor and Shunem, where Elisha, as the old story runs, raised another mother's son ( 2 Kings 4:18-37). To this day, ten minutes' walk from Nain on the road to Endor there is a cemetery of rock tombs in which the dead are laid.

In many ways this is the loveliest story in all the gospels.

(i) It tells of the pathos and the poignancy of human life. The funeral procession would be headed by the band of professional mourners with their flutes and their cymbals, uttering in a kind of frenzy their shrill cries of grief. There is all the ageless sorrow of the world in the austere and simple sentence, "He was his mother's only son and she was a widow."

"Never morning wore to evening

But some heart did break."

In Shelley's Adonais, his lament for Keats, he writes,

"As long as skies are blue, and fields are green,

Evening must usher night, night urge the morrow,

Month follow month with woe, and year wake year to sorrow."

Virgil, the Roman poet, in an immortal phrase spoke about "The tears of things"--sunt lacrimae rerum. In the nature of things we live in a world of broken hearts.

(ii) To the pathos of human life, Luke adds the compassion of Christ. Jesus was moved to the depths of his heart. There is no stronger word in the Greek language for sympathy and again and again in the gospel story it is used of Jesus ( Matthew 14:14; Matthew 15:32; Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41; Mark 8:2).

To the ancient world this must have been a staggering thing. The noblest faith in antiquity was Stoicism. The Stoics believed that the primary characteristic of God was apathy, incapability of feeling. This was their argument. If someone can make another sad or sorry, glad or joyful, it means that, at least for the moment, he can influence that other person. If he can influence him that means that, at least for the moment, he is greater than he. Now, no one can be greater than God; therefore, no one can influence God; therefore, in the nature of things, God must be incapable of feeling.

Here men were presented with the amazing conception of one who was the Son of God being moved to the depths of his being.

"In ev'ry pang that rends the heart.

The Man of sorrows has a part."

For many that is the most precious thing about the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(iii) To the compassion of Jesus, Luke adds the power of Jesus. He went up and touched the bier. It was not a coffin, for coffins were not used in the east. Very often long wicker-work baskets were used for carrying the body to the grave. It was a dramatic moment. As one great commentator says, "Jesus claimed as his own what death had seized as his prey."

It may well be that here we have a miracle of diagnosis; that Jesus with those keen eyes of his saw that the lad was in a cataleptic trance and saved him from being buried alive, as so many were in Palestine. It does not matter; the fact remains that Jesus claimed for life a lad who had been marked for death. Jesus is not only the Lord of life; he is the Lord of death who himself triumphed over the grave and who has promised that, because he lives, we shall live also ( John 14:19).

THE FINAL PROOF ( Luke 7:18-29 )

7:18-29 John's disciples told him about all these things; so John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord saying, "Are you he who is to come, or, are we to look for another?" When they arrived, the men said to him, "John, the Baptizer, has sent us to you. Are you the One who is to come," he asks, "or are we to look for another?" At that time he cured many of their diseases and afflictions and of evil spirits, and to many blind people he gave the gift of sight. "Go," he answered them, "and tell John what you have seen and heard. The blind recover their sight; the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed; the deaf hear; the dead are raised up; the poor have the Good News told to them; and blessed is he who does not find a stumbling-block in me."

When John's messengers had gone away, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look you--those who wear expensive clothes and live in luxury are in royal palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and something more than a prophet. This is he of whom it stands written--'Look you, I send my messenger before you to prepare your way before you.' I tell you there is no one greater amongst those born of women than John. But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." When the people and the tax-collectors heard this they called God righteous for they had been baptized with John's baptism.

John sent emissaries to Jesus to ask if he really was the Messiah or if they must look for someone else.

(i) This incident has worried many because they have been surprised at the apparent doubt in the mind of John. Various explanations have been advanced.

(a) It is suggested that John took this step, not for his own sake, but for the sake of his disciples. He was sure enough; but they had their qualms and he desired that they should be confronted with proof unanswerable.

(b) It is suggested that John wished to hurry Jesus on because he thought it was time Jesus moved towards decisive action.

(c) The simplest explanation is the best. Think what was happening to John. John, the child of the desert and of the wide-open spaces, was confined in a dungeon cell in the castle of Machaerus. Once, one of the Macdonalds, a highland chieftain, was confined in a little cell in Carlisle Castle. In his cell was one little window. To this day you may see in the sandstone the marks of the feet and hands of the highlander as he lifted himself up and clung to the window ledge day by day to gaze with infinite longing upon the border hills and valleys he would never walk again. Shut in his cell, choked by the narrow walls, John asked his question because his cruel captivity had put tremors in his heart.

(ii) Note the proof that Jesus offered. He pointed at the facts. The sick and the suffering and the humble poor were experiencing the power and hearing the word of the Good News. Here is a point which is seldom realized--this is not the answer John expected. If Jesus was God's anointed one, John would have expected him to say, "My armies are massing. Caesarea, the headquarters of the Roman government, is about to fall. The sinners are being obliterated. And judgment has begun." He would have expected Jesus to say, "The wrath of God is on the march." but Jesus said, "The mercy of God is here." Let us remember that where pain is soothed and sorrow turned to joy, where suffering and death are vanquished, there is the kingdom of God. Jesus' answer was, "Go back and tell John that the love of God is here."

(iii) After John's emissaries had gone, Jesus paid his own tribute to him. People had crowded out into the desert to see and hear John and they had not gone to see a reed shaken by the wind. That may mean one of two things.

(a) Nothing was commoner by Jordan's banks than a reed shaken by the wind. It was in fact a proverbial phrase for the commonest of sights. It may then mean that the crowds went out to see no ordinary sight.

(b) It may stand for fickleness. It was no vacillating, swaying character men went out to see like a swaying reed, but a man immovable as a mighty tree.

They had not gone out to see some soft effeminate soul, like the silk-clad courtiers of the royal palace.

What then had they gone to see?

(a) First, Jesus pays John a great tribute. All men expected that before God's anointed king arrived upon the earth, Elijah would return to prepare the way and act as his herald ( Malachi 4:5). John was the herald of the Highest.

(b) Second, Jesus states quite clearly the limitations of John. The least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than he. Why? Some have said that it was because John had wavered, if but for a moment, in his faith. It was not that. It was because John marked a dividing line in history. Since John's proclamation had been made, Jesus had come; eternity had invaded time; heaven had invaded earth; God had arrived in Jesus; life could never be the same again. We date all time as before Christ and after Christ--B.C. and A.D. Jesus is the dividing line. Therefore, all who come after him and who receive him are of necessity granted a greater blessing than all who went before. The entry of Jesus into the world divided all time into two; and it divided all life in two. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation ( 2 Corinthians 5:17).

As Bilney, the martyr said, "When I read that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, it was as if day suddenly broke on a dark night."

THE PERVERSITY OF MEN ( Luke 7:30-35 )

7:30-35 But the Pharisees and the scribes frustrated God's purpose for themselves because they were not baptized by him. "To whom," asked Jesus, "will I compare the men of this generation? And to whom are they like? They are like children seated in the market place who call to one another, 'We have piped to you, and you did not dance. We have sung you a dirge and you did not weep.' John the Baptizer came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say,' He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you say, 'Look! a gluttonous man and a wine-drinker, the friend of tax-collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is justified by her children."

This passage has two great warnings in it.

(i) It tells of the perils of free-will. The scribes and the Pharisees had succeeded in frustrating God's purpose for themselves. The tremendous truth of Christianity is that the coercion of God is not of force but of love. It is precisely there that we can glimpse the sorrow of God. It is always love's greatest tragedy to look upon some loved one who has taken the wrong way and to see what might have been, what could have been and what was meant to have been. That is life's greatest heartbreak.

Sir William Watson has a poem called Lux Perdita, the "Lost Light."

"These were the weak, slight hands

That might have taken this strong soul, and bent

Its stubborn substance to thy soft intent,

And bound it unresisting with such bands

As not the arm of envious heaven had rent.

These were the calming eyes

That round my pinnace could have stilled the sea,

And drawn thy voyager home, and bid him be

Pure with their pureness, with their wisdom wise,

Merged in their light, and greatly lost in thee.

But thou--thou passedst on,

With whiteness clothed of dedicated days,

Cold, like a star; and me in alien ways

Thou leftest, following life's chance lure, where shone

The wandering gleam that beckons and betrays."

It is true that,

"Of all sad words of tongue and pen

The saddest are those, 'It might have been.'"

God's tragedy, too, is the might have been of life. As G. K. Chesterton said, "God had written not so much a poem, but rather a play; a play he had planned as perfect, but which had necessarily been left to human actors and stage managers, who had since made a great mess of it." God save us from making shipwreck of life and bringing heartbreak to himself by using our freewill to frustrate his purposes.

(ii) It tells of the perversity of men. John had come, living with a hermit's austerity, and the scribes and Pharisees had said that he was a mad eccentric and that some demon had taken his wits away. Jesus had come, living the life of men and entering into all their activities, and they had taunted him with loving earth's pleasures far too much. We all know the days when a child will grin at anything and the moods when nothing will please us. The human heart can be lost in a perversity in which any appeal God may make will be met with wilful and childish discontent.

(iii) But there are the few who answer; and God's wisdom is in the end justified by those who are his children. Men may misuse their freewill to frustrate God's purposes; men in their perversity may be blind and deaf to all his appeal. Had God used the force of coercion and laid on man the iron bonds of a will that could not be denied, there would have been a world of automata and a world without trouble. But God chose the dangerous way of love, and love in the end will triumph.

A SINNER'S LOVE ( Luke 7:36-50 )

7:36-50 One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. He went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table; and--look you--there was a woman in the town, a bad woman. She knew that he was at table in the Pharisee's house, so she took an alabaster phial of perfume and stood behind him, beside his feet, weeping. She began to wash his feet with tears, and she wiped them with the hairs of her head; and she kept kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume. When the Pharisee, who had invited him, saw this, he said to himself, "If this fellow was a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of a person this woman is who keeps touching him, for she is a bad woman." Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." He said, "Master, say it." Jesus said, "There were two men who were in debt to a certain lender. The one owed him 20 pounds, the other 2 pounds. Since they were unable to pay he cancelled the debt to both. Who then will love him the more?" Simon answered, "I presume, he to whom the greater favour was shown." He said to him, "Your judgment is correct." He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house--you gave me no water for my feet. She has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. You did not give me any kiss. But she, from the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil. She has anointed my feet with perfume. Wherefore, I tell you, her sins--her many sins--are forgiven for she loved much. He to whom little is forgiven loves little." He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Those who were at table with him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who forgives even sins?" He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

This story is so vivid that it makes one believe that Luke may well have been an artist.

(i) The scene is the courtyard of the house of Simon the Pharisee. The houses of well-to-do people were built round an open courtyard in the form of a hollow square. Often in the courtyard there would be a garden and a fountain; and there in the warm weather meals were eaten. It was the custom that when a Rabbi was at a meal in such a house, all kinds of people came in--they were quite free to do so--to listen to the pearls of wisdom which fell from his lips. That explains the presence of the woman.

When a guest entered such a house three things were always done. The host placed his hand on the guest's shoulder and gave him the kiss of peace. That was a mark of respect which was never omitted in the case of a distinguished Rabbi. The roads were only dust tracks, and shoes were merely soles held in place by straps across the foot. So always cool water was poured over the guest's feet to cleanse and comfort them. Either a pinch of sweet-smelling incense was burned or a drop of attar of roses was placed on the guest's head. These things good manners demanded, and in this case not one of them was done.

In the east the guests did not sit, but reclined, at table. They lay on low couches, resting on the left elbow, leaving the right arm free, with the feet stretched out behind; and during the meal the sandals were taken off. That explains how the woman was standing beside Jesus' feet.

(ii) Simon was a Pharisee, one of the separated ones. Why should such a man invite Jesus to his house at all? There are three possible reasons.

(a) It is just possible that he was an admirer and a sympathizer, for not all the Pharisees were Jesus' enemies (compare Luke 13:31). But the whole atmosphere of discourtesy makes that unlikely.

(b) It could be that Simon had invited Jesus with the deliberate intention of enticing him into some word or action which might have been made the basis of a charge against him. Simon may have been an agent provocateur. Again it is not likely, because in Luke 7:40 Simon gives Jesus the title, Rabbi.

(c) Most likely, Simon was a collector of celebrities; and with a half-patronising contempt he had invited this startling young Galilaean to have a meal with him. That would best explain the strange combination of a certain respect with the omission of the usual courtesies. Simon was a man who tried to patronize Jesus.

(iii) The woman was a bad woman, and a notoriously bad woman, a prostitute. No doubt she had listened to Jesus speak from the edge of the crowd and had glimpsed in him the hand which could lift her from the mire of her ways. Round her neck she wore, like all Jewish women, a little phial of concentrated perfume; they were called alabasters; and they were very costly. She wished to pour it on his feet, for it was all she had to offer. But as she saw him the tears came and fell upon his feet. For a Jewish woman to appear with hair unbound was an act of the gravest immodesty. On her wedding day a girl bound up her hair and never would she appear with it unbound again. The fact that this woman loosed her long hair in public showed how she had forgotten everyone except Jesus.

The story demonstrates a contrast between two attitudes of mind and heart.

(i) Simon was conscious of no need and therefore felt no love, and so received no forgiveness. Simon's impression of himself was that he was a good man in the sight of men and of God.

(ii) The woman was conscious of nothing else than a clamant need, and therefore was overwhelmed with love for him who could supply it, and so received forgiveness.

The one thing which shuts a man off from God is self-sufficiency. And the strange thing is that the better a man is the more he feels his sin. Paul could speak of sinners "of whom I am foremost" ( 1 Timothy 1:15). Francis of Assisi could say, "There is nowhere a more wretched and a more miserable sinner than I." It is true to say that the greatest of sins is to be conscious of no sin; but a sense of need will open the door to the forgiveness of God, because God is love, and love's greatest glory is to be needed.

-Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And he said to the woman,.... Notwithstanding the Pharisee's censure, both of him and her:

thy faith hath saved thee; meaning either the object of her faith, himself, who was the author of eternal salvation to her; or that she, through faith in him, had received the blessings of salvation, pardon, righteousness, and life from him, and the joys and comfort of it; and had both a right unto, and a meetness for eternal glory and happiness:

go in peace; of conscience, and serenity of mind; let nothing disturb thee; not the remembrance of past sins, which are all forgiven, nor the suggestions of Satan, who may, at one time or another, present them to view; nor the troubles and afflictions of this present life; which are all in love; nor the reproaches and censures of men of a "pharisaic" spirit: go home to thy house, and about thy business, and cheerfully perform thy duty both to God and men; and when thou hast done thy generation work, thou shalt enter into eternal peace and joy.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

Christ in the House of the Pharisee.

      36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.   37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,   38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.   39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.   40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.   41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.   42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?   43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.   44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.   45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.   46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.   47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.   48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.   49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?   50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

      When and where this passage of story happened does not appear; this evangelist does not observe order of time in his narrative so much as the other evangelists do; but it comes in here, upon occasion of Christ's being reproached as a friend to publicans and sinners, to show that it was only for their good, and to bring them to repentance, that he conversed with them; and that those whom he admitted hear him were reformed, or in a hopeful way to be so. Who this woman was that here testified so great an affection to Christ does not appear; it is commonly said to be Mary Magdalene, but I find no ground in scripture for it: she is described (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9) to be one out of whom Christ had cast seven devils; but that is not mentioned here, and therefore it is probable that it was not she. Now observe here,

      I. The civil entertainment which a Pharisee gave to Christ, and his gracious acceptance of that entertainment (Luke 7:36; Luke 7:36): One of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him, either because he thought it would be a reputation to him to have such a guest at his table or because his company would be an entertainment to him and his family and friends. It appears that this Pharisee did not believe in Christ, for he will not own him to be a prophet (Luke 7:39; Luke 7:39), and yet our Lord Jesus accepted his invitation, went into his house, and sat down to meat, that they might see he took the same liberty with Pharisees that he did with publicans, in hopes of doing them good. And those may venture further into the society of such as are prejudiced against Christ, and his religion, who have wisdom and grace sufficient to instruct and argue with them, than others may.

      II. The great respect which a poor penitent sinner showed him, when he was at meat in the Pharisee's house. It was a woman in the city that was a sinner, a Gentile, a harlot, I doubt, known to be so, and infamous. She knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, and, having been converted from her wicked course of life by his preaching, she came to acknowledge her obligations to him, having no opportunity of doing it in any other way than by washing his feet, and anointing them with some sweet ointment that she brought with her for that purpose. The way of sitting at table then was such that their feet were partly behind them. Now this woman did not look Christ in the face, but came behind him, and did the part of a maid-servant, whose office it was to wash the feet of the guests (1 Samuel 25:41) and to prepare the ointments.

      Now in what this good woman did, we may observe,

      1. Her deep humiliation for sin. She stood behind him weeping; her eyes had been the inlets and outlets of sin, and now she makes them fountains of tears. Her face is now foul with weeping, which perhaps used to be covered with paints. Her hair now made a towel of, which before had been plaited and adorned. We have reason to think that she had before sorrowed for sin; but, now that she had an opportunity of coming into the presence of Christ, the wound bled afresh and her sorrow was renewed. Note, It well becomes penitents, upon all their approaches to Christ, to renew their godly sorrow and shame for sin, when he is pacified,Ezekiel 16:63.

      2. Her strong affection to the Lord Jesus. This was what our Lord Jesus took special notice of, that she loved much,Luke 7:42; Luke 7:47. She washed his feet, in token of her ready submission to the meanest office in which she might do him honour. Nay, she washed them with her tears, tears of joy; she was in a transport, to find herself so near her Saviour, whom her soul loved. She kissed his feet, as one unworthy of the kisses of his mouth, which the spouse coveted, Song of Solomon 1:2. It was a kiss of adoration as well as affection. She wiped them with her hair, as one entirely devoted to his honour. Her eyes shall yield water to wash them, and her hair be a towel to wipe them; and she anointed his feet with the ointment, owning him hereby to be the Messiah, the Anointed. She anointed his feet in token of her consent to God's design in anointing his head with the oil of gladness. Note, All true penitents have a dear love to the Lord Jesus.

      III. The offence which the Pharisee took at Christ, for admitting the respect which this poor penitent paid him (Luke 7:39; Luke 7:39): He said within himself (little thinking that Christ knew what he thought), This man, if he were a prophet, would then have so much knowledge as to perceive that this woman is a sinner, is a Gentile, is a woman of ill fame, and so much sanctity as therefore not to suffer her to come so near him; for can one of such a character approach a prophet, and his heart not rise at it? See how apt proud and narrow souls are to think that others should be as haughty and censorious as themselves. Simon, if she had touched him, would have said, Stand by thyself, come not near me, for I am holier than thou (Isaiah 65:5); and he thought Christ should say so too.

      IV. Christ's justification of the woman in what she did to him, and of himself in admitting it. Christ knew what the Pharisee spoke within himself, and made answer to it: Simon, I have something to say unto thee,Luke 7:40; Luke 7:40. Though he was kindly entertained at his table, yet even there he reproved him for what he saw amiss in him, and would not suffer sin upon him. Those whom Christ hath something against he hath something to say to, for his Spirit shall reprove. Simon is willing to give him the hearing: He saith, Master, say on. Though he could not believe him to be a prophet (because he was not so nice and precise as he was), yet he can compliment him with the title of Master, among those that cry Lord, Lord, but do not the things which he saith. Now Christ, in his answer to the Pharisee, reasons thus:--It is true this woman has been a sinner: he knows it; but she is a pardoned sinner, which supposes her to be a penitent sinner. What she did to him was an expression of her great love to her Saviour, by whom her sins were forgiven. If she was pardoned, who had been so great a sinner, it might reasonably be expected that she should love her Saviour more than others, and should give greater proofs of it than others; and if this was the fruit of her love, and flowing from a sense of the pardon of her sin, it became him to accept of it, and it ill became the Pharisee to be offended at it. Now Christ has a further intention in this. The Pharisee doubted whether he was a prophet or no, nay, he did in effect deny it; but Christ shows that he was more than a prophet, for he is one that has power on earth to forgive sins, and to whom are due the affections and thankful acknowledgments of penitent pardoned sinners. Now, in his answer,

      1. He by a parable forces Simon to acknowledge that the greater sinner this woman had been the greater love she ought to show to Jesus Christ when her sins were pardoned,Luke 7:41-43; Luke 7:41-43. A man had two debtors that were both insolvent, but one of them owed him ten times more than the other. He very freely forgave them both, and did not take the advantage of the law against them, did not order them and their children to be sold, or deliver them to the tormentors. Now they were both sensible of the great kindness they had received; but which of them will love him most? Certainly, saith the Pharisee, he to whom he forgave most; and herein he rightly judged. Now we, being obliged to forgive, as we are and hope to be forgiven, may hence learn the duty between debtor and creditor.

      (1.) The debtor, if he have any thing to pay, ought to make satisfaction to his creditor. No man can reckon any thing his own or have any comfortable enjoyment of it, but that which is so when all his debts are paid.

      (2.) If God in his providence have disabled the debtor to pay his debt, the creditor ought not to be severe with him, nor to go to the utmost rigour of the law with him, but freely to forgive him. Summum jus est summa injuria--The law stretched into rigour becomes unjust. Let the unmerciful creditor read that parable, Matthew 18:23, c., and tremble for they shall have judgment without mercy that show no mercy.

      (3.) The debtor that has found his creditors merciful ought to be very grateful to them; and, if he cannot otherwise recompense them, ought to love them. Some insolvent debtors, instead of being grateful, are spiteful, to their creditors that lose by them, and cannot give them a good word, only because they complain, whereas losers may have leave to speak. But this parable speaks of God as the Creator (or rather of the Lord Jesus himself, for he it is that forgives, and is beloved by, the debtor) and sinners are the debtors: and so we may learn here, [1.] That sin is a debt, and sinners are debtors to God Almighty. As creatures, we owe a debt, a debt of obedience to the precept of the law, and, for non-payment of that, as sinners, we become liable to the penalty. We have not paid our rent; nay, we have wasted our Lord's goods, and so we become debtors. God has an action against us for the injury we have done him, and the omission of our duty to him. [2.] That some are deeper in debt to God, by reason of sin, than others are: One owed five hundred pence and the other fifty. The Pharisee was the less debtor, yet he a debtor too, which was more than he thought himself, but rather that God was his debtor, Luke 18:10; Luke 18:11. This woman, that had been a scandalous notorious sinner, was the greater debtor. Some sinners are in themselves greater debtors than others, and some sinners, by reason of divers aggravating circumstances, greater debtors; as those that have sinned most openly and scandalously, that have sinned against greater light and knowledge, more convictions and warnings, and more mercies and means. [3.] That, whether our debt be more or less, it is more than we are able to pay: They had nothing to pay, nothing at all to make a composition with; for the debt is great, and we have nothing at all to pay it with. Silver and gold will not pay our debt, nor will sacrifice and offering, no, not thousands of rams. No righteousness of our own will pay it, no, not our repentance and obedience for the future; for it is what we are already bound to, and it is God that works it within us. [4.] That the God of heaven is ready to forgive, frankly to forgive, poor sinners, upon gospel terms, though their debt be ever so great. If we repent, and believe in Christ, our iniquity shall not be our ruin, it shall not be laid to our charge. God has proclaimed his name gracious and merciful, and ready to forgive sin; and, his Son having purchased pardon for penitent believers, his gospel promises it to them, and his Spirit seals it and gives them the comfort of it. [5.] That those who have their sins pardoned are obliged to love him that pardoned them; and the more is forgiven them, the more they should love him. The greater sinners any have been before their conversion, the greater saints they should be after, the more they should study to do for God, and the more their hearts should be enlarged in obedience. When a persecuting Saul became a preaching Paul he laboured more abundantly.

      2. He applies this parable to the different temper and conduct of the Pharisee and the sinner towards Christ. Though the Pharisee would not allow Christ to be a prophet, Christ seems ready to allow him to be in a justified state, and that he was one forgiven, though to him less was forgiven. He did indeed show some love to Christ, in inviting him to his house, but nothing to what this poor woman showed. "Observe," saith Christ to him, "she is one that has much forgiven her, and therefore, according to thine own judgment, it might be expected that she should love much more than thou dost, and so it appears. Seest thou this woman?Luke 7:44; Luke 7:44. Thou lookest upon her with contempt, but consider how much kinder a friend she is to me than thou art; should I then accept thy kindness, and refuse hers?" (1.) "Thou didst not so much as order a basin of water to be brought, to wash my feet in, when I came in, wearied and dirtied with my walk, which would have been some refreshment to me; but she has done much more: she has washed my feet with tears, tears of affection to me, tears of affliction for sin, and has wiped them with the hairs of her head, in token of her great love to me." (2.) "Thou didst not so much as kiss my cheek" (which was a usual expression of a hearty and affectionate welcome to a friend); "but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet (Luke 7:45; Luke 7:45), thereby expressing both a humble and an affectionate love." (3.) "Thou didst not provide me a little common oil, as usual, to anoint my head with; but she has bestowed a box of precious ointment upon my feet (Luke 7:46; Luke 7:46), so far has she outdone thee." The reason why some people blame the pains and expense of zealous Christians, in religion, is because they are not willing themselves to come up to it, but resolve to rest in a cheap and easy religion.

      3. He silenced the Pharisee's cavil: I say unto thee, Simon, her sins, which are many, are forgiven,Luke 7:47; Luke 7:47. He owns that she had been guilty of many sins: "But they are forgiven her, and therefore it is no way unbecoming in me to accept her kindness. They are forgiven, for she loved much." It should be rendered, therefore she loved much; for it is plain, by the tenour of Christ's discourse, that the loving much was not the cause, but the effect, of her pardon, and of her comfortable sense of it; for we love God because he first loved us; he did not forgive us because we first loved him. "But to whom little is forgiven, as is to thee, the same loveth little, as thou dost." Hereby he intimates to the Pharisee that his love to Christ was so little that he had reason to question whether he loved him at all in sincerity; and, consequently, whether indeed his sin, though comparatively little, were forgiven him. Instead of grudging greater sinners the mercy they find with Christ, upon their repentance, we should be stirred up by their example to examine ourselves whether we be indeed forgiven, and do love Christ.

      4. He silenced her fears, who probably was discouraged by the Pharisee's conduct, and yet would not so far yield to the discouragement as to fly off. (1.) Christ said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven,Luke 7:48; Luke 7:48. Note, The more we express our sorrow for sin, and our love to Christ, the clearer evidence we have of the forgiveness of our sins; for it is by the experience of a work of grace wrought in us that we obtain the assurance of an act of grace wrought for us. How well was she paid for her pains and cost, when she was dismissed with this word from Christ, Thy sins are forgiven! and what an effectual prevention would this be of her return to sin again! (2.) Though there were those present who quarrelled with Christ, in their own minds, for presuming to forgive sin, and to pronounce sinners absolved (Luke 7:49; Luke 7:49), as those had done (Matthew 9:3), yet he stood to what he had said; for as he had there proved that he had power to forgive sin, by curing the man sick of the palsy, and therefore would not here take notice of the cavil, so he would now show that he had pleasure in forgiving sin, and it was his delight; he loves to speak pardon and peace to penitents: He said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee,Luke 7:50; Luke 7:50. This would confirm and double her comfort in the forgiveness of her sin, that she was justified by her faith. All these expressions of sorrow for sin, and love to Christ, were the effects and products of faith; and therefore, as faith of all graces doth most honour God, so Christ doth of all graces put most honour upon faith. Note, They who know that their faith hath saved them may go in peace, may go on their way rejoicing.

Spurgeon's Verse Expositions of the Bible

The Woman Which Was a Sinner and Saving Faith

The Woman Which Was a Sinner

Delivered on March 22nd, 1868

by

C. H. SPURGEON

"And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew

that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of

ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his

feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed

his feet, and anointed them with the ointment."-- Luke 7:37-38 .

This is the woman who has been confounded with Mary Magdalene. How

the error originated it would not be easy to imagine, but error it certainly

is. There is not the slightest shadow of evidence that this woman, who was

a sinner, had even the remotest connection with her out of whom Jesus cast

seven devils. In delivering you a sermon a few Sabbaths ago, upon the life

of Mary of Magdala, I think I showed you that it was hardly possible, and

most improbable, that she could have been a sinner in the sense here

intended, and now I venture to affirm that there is as much evidence to

prove that the woman, in the narrative now before us, was the Queen of

Sheba, or the mother of Sisera, as that she was Mary Magdalene: there is

not a figment or fraction of evidence to be found. The fact is, there is no

connection between the two.

Further, the sinner before us is not Mary of Bethany, with whom so many

have confounded her. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, did anoint

our Saviour, but this is a previous anointing, by quite a different person,

and the two narratives are altogether distinct. There is a great likeness,

certainly, between the two. The principal persons were both women, full of

ardent love to Christ; they both anointed the Lord with ointment; the name

of Simon is connected with both, and they both wiped the Saviour's feet

with their hair. But it ought not to astonish you that there were two persons

whose intense affection thus displayed itself; the astonishment should

rather be that there were not two hundred who did so, for the anointing of

the feet of an honoured friend was by no means so uncommon a token of

respect among the Orientals as to be an unprecedented marvel. Loved as

Jesus deserved to be, the marvel is that he was not oftener visited with

these generous tokens of human love. It is a pity to fuse two occasions into

one, as though we grudged a double unction to the Anointed of the Lord.

That both events should happen in the houses of persons named Simon is

not at all remarkable: be it remembered that the one was Simon the

Pharisee, and the other Simon the leper; and that Simon is one of the

commonest of Jewish names; and that in our days, a thing having

happened in the house of a John, and another thing like it in the house of

another John, would not be remarkable, since Johns are exceedingly

common amongst us, as were Simons in the days of our Lord. But that the

two, or perhaps I should say three, anointings (for I am inclined to think

there were three) are not the same is evident from the following reasons:

they differ in time; our Lord lived at least six months after his anointing by

this woman, and if you follow the narrative, you read in the very next

chapter, "And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city

and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of

God: and the twelve were with him." But when Mary anointed him at

Bethany, he said, "She did it for my burial;" and our Lord was then within

a very few days of his crucifixion. The anointing by Mary, the sister of

Lazarus, took place at Bethany (Matthew 26:6 ), but this occurred in

Galilee, which is quite another quarter. Moreover, the fact itself was really

a very different one, for although both women anoint Christ with ointment,

yet there was a peculiar preciousness and power of perfume about the

spikenard of the wealthier Mary, which is not mentioned in the ointment of

this woman of a lower position in life. Mary, according to John ( Joh

12:3 ), poured out a whole pound of the costly nard, but such is not said of

the humble offering of the woman that was a sinner. Matthew tells us that

a woman poured the ointment on his head, but this poor penitent is only

said to have anointed his feet: tears are not mentioned in connection with

Mary by either Matthew, Mark, or John, while they make a conspicuous

feature in the love of the gracious mourner now before us. After the

transaction there was an objection raised in both cases, but mark the great

difference! In this case, Simon the Pharisee objected because she, being a

sinner, was allowed to have such familiarity with the Lord; in the other

case, no such objection was raised to the person, but Judas Iscariot objected

to her having been so profuse and extravagant in the abundance and

costliness of the anointing, and murmured, saying that this ointment might

have been sold for much and given to the poor. If you confound these two

occurrences, you not only make an egregious mistake, but you lose a

precious lesson. This case now before us is the offering of a poor returning

wanderer, who, under a deep sense of gratitude, brings the best she has to

her Lord, and is accepted by his grace. In the case of Mary of Bethany, it

was an advanced saint, one who had sat at Jesus' feet and heard of him,

and had aforetime chosen the good part which should not be taken away

from her, and she brings a costly tribute as the offering of her deep, sincere

affection, which had grown and deepened by the receipt of many favours

from his loving hand. The advanced believer is more bold than the new

convert. She anoints his head when the other only anoints his feet, and she

is not less loving, for if there be fewer tears there is a more costly

spikenard. Jesus defended the penitent, and bade her go in peace; but in

Mary's case there was no need to say, "Thy sins are forgiven," for she

already possessed that priceless boon; our Lord, instead of merely

defending, warmly eulogised her love, and declared, "Wheresoever this

gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this

woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her." Thus much will suffice

to show you that "the woman which was a sinner" is neither to be

confounded with Mary of Magdala on the one hand, or Mary of Bethany on

the other. Let us learn to read our Bibles with our eyes open, to study them

as men do the works of great artists, studying each figure, and even each

sweet variety of light and shade.

Too long have we been controverting on the threshold of the text, let us

now lift the latch. Lo, on the table I see two savoury dishes, let us feed

thereon. Here are two silver bells, let us ring them; their first note is

Grace, and the second tone is Love.

I. GRACE

the most costly of spikenard: this story literally drips with it, like those

Oriental trees which bleed perfume; or as the spouse when she rose up to

open to her beloved, and her hands dropped with myrrh, and her fingers

with sweet-smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock. Grace, that gentle

dew of heaven, is here plenteously distilled, and falls like small rain upon

the tender herb. Grace, sovereign, distinguishing, omnipotent, is

exceedingly magnified in this narrative; lo, I see it exalted upon a glorious

high throne, with the king's daughter waiting as an honourable woman

among its courtiers.

1. First, grace is here glorified in its object. She was "a sinner"--a sinner

not in the flippant, unmeaning, every-day sense of the term, but a sinner in

the blacker, filthier, and more obnoxious sense. She had forsaken the guide

of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of her God; she had sinned against

the laws of purity, and had made herself as a defiled thing; she had fallen

into that deep ditch concerning which it is written, "The abhorred of the

Lord shall fall therein." According to our Lord's parable, she was in

comparison with the Pharisee as a five-hundred- pence sinner, while the

Pharisee was but as fifty. She was one of the scarlet sinners that we read of

in Scripture--she sinned and made others to sin. Hers were offenses which

provoke the Lord to jealousy, and stir up his wrath. Yet, oh, miracle of

miracles, she was an object of distinguishing grace, ordained unto eternal

life! Why was this? On what legal grounds was she selected? For what

merit was she chosen? Was this an extraordinary and out-of-the-way

instance? By no means, dear friends, for the grace of God has frequently

chosen the lowest of the low, and the vilest of the vile. Recollect how, in

the pedigree of our Lord, you find the name of the shameless Tamar, the

harlot Rahab, and the unfaithful Bathsheba, as if to indicate that the

Saviour of sinners would enter into near relationship with the most

degraded and fallen of our race. This is, in fact, one of the dearest

titles of our Lord, though it was hissed at him from the lips of contempt,

"A friend of publicans and sinners." This is Jesus' character of which he

is not ashamed: "This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them." Free

grace has made no distinction among men on account of merit, whether false

or real, if real there be. The law has concluded us all in unbelief, and

then the abounding grace of God looking upon us all as equally cast away

and ruined both by Adam's fall and by our own personal transgression, has

predestinated and called whomsoever it would. Do you not hear from the

throne of mercy the echoes of that sovereign proclamation, "I will have

mercy on whom I will have mercy; I will have compassion on whom I will

have compassion"? Grace has pitched upon the most unlikely cases in

order to show itself to be grace; it has found a dwelling-place for itself in

the most unworthy heart, that its freeness might be the better seen. Do I

address one who has greatly fallen? Let this thought comfort thee, if thy

heart bewails thy sin--let this give thee hope of mercy, that in the election

of grace some of the grossest blasphemers, persecutors, thieves, fornicators,

and drunkards, have been included, and in consequence thereof they have

been forgiven, renewed, and made to live sober, righteous, and godly lives.

Such as these have obtained mercy that in them first God might show forth

all longsuffering as a comfort and encouragement to others to cry unto the

Lord for mercy.

Grace reigns right majestically in the case before us, in that this particular

sinner should be chosen; to choose a sinner was something, but to choose

this one individual was even more astonishing. No doubt, she did in spirit

ask herself, "Why me, Lord? why me?" Had she been here this morning,

she would sing as heartily as any of us--

"Oh, gift of gifts! Oh, grace of faith!

My God, how can it be

That thou, who has discerning love,

Shouldst give that gift to me!

How many hearts thou mightst have had

More innocent than mine!

How many souls more worthy far

Of that pure touch of thine!

Ah, Grace! into unlikeliest hearts

It is thy boast to come;

The glory of thy light to find

In darkest spots a home."

At yonder table sits Simon the Pharisee, a good respectable body as he

thinks himself to be, and yet no choice divine has fallen upon him--while

this poor harlot is elected by distinguishing grace! How can we account for

this? Many there were in the city like to herself, some worse, some better;

but grace had marked her as its own. Oh, strange, yet admirable

sovereignty! Now, it is possible that you may not be much taken with the

glory of grace in selecting her, but I will ask you whether you are not

delighted with the grace which separated you to be the Lord's? O brethren,

when once a man discovers that God has chosen him, when he feels that

grace has broken his heart, has brought him to Christ, and has covered him

with a perfect righteousness, then he breaks out in wondering

exclamations, "How couldst thou have chosen me? What am I, and what is

my father's house, that I should be taken into such royal favour?" The more

a believer looks within, the more he discovers reasons for divine wrath,

and the less he believes in his own personal merit. How is the heart of a

true believer filled with adoring gratitude that ever the Lord's boundless

love should have been pleased to settle and fix itself upon him! This is not

so much for me to descant upon as it is for your private meditations. I

earnestly commend to you that precious thought, that Jehovah loved you

from before the foundations of the world, and chose you when he might

have left you, chose you when he passed over thousands of the great and

the noble, the wise, and the learned. The doctrine is not a dogma to be

fought over, as dogs over a bone, but to be rejoiced in, and turned to

practical account as an incentive to reverent wonder and affectionate

gratitude. Where sin abounded grace did much more abound, and the

"woman which was a sinner," is now before us a weeping penitent; the

sinner "of the city," a public sinner, is now openly a follower of the holy

One.

2. Grace is greatly magnified in its fruits. Who would have thought that a

woman who had yielded her members to be servants of unrighteousness, to

her shame and confusion, should have now become, what if I call her a

maid of honour to the King of kings?--one of Christ's most favoured

servitors? Who offered hospitalities to Jesus which the Pharisee omitted,

and offered them in an infinitely better spirit and style than the Pharisee

could have done it even had he tried! Let us remark, that the grace of God

brought this woman in a way of providence to listen to the Saviour's

discourses. In a former part of this chapter it appears he had been

preaching the gospel, and more especially preaching it to the poor. Perhaps

she stood in the street attracted by the crowd, and, as she listened to our

Saviour's talk, it seemed to hold her fast. She had never heard a man speak

after that fashion, and when he spoke of abounding mercy, and the

willingness of God to accept as many as would come to him, then the tears

began to follow each other down her cheek; and when she listened again to

that meek and lowly preacher, and heard him tell of the Father in heaven

who would receive prodigals and press them to his loving bosom, then her

heart was fairly broken, she relinquished her evil traffic, she became a new

woman, desirous of better things, anxious to be freed from sin. But she was

greatly agitated in her heart with the question, could she, would she, be

really forgiven? Would such pardoning love as she had heard of reach even

to her? She hoped so, and was in a measure comforted. Her faith grew, and

with it an ardent love. The Spirit of God still wrought with her till she

enjoyed a feeble hope, a gleam of confidence; she believed that Jesus of

Nazareth was the Messiah, that he had appeared on earth to forgive sins,

and she rested on him for the forgiveness of her sins, and longed for an

opportunity to do him homage, and if possible to win a word direct from

his mouth. The Lord of mercy came to the city where she lived. "Now," she

thought, "here is my opportunity; that blessed prophet has come; the man

who spake as never man spake is near me, and I have already derived such

benefit from him that I love him better than all besides; I love him as my

own soul. I will steal into the house of the Pharisee, that I may feast my

eyes with the sight of him." Now, when she came to the door, the Saviour

was reclining at his meat, according to the Oriental custom, and his feet

were towards the door; for the Pharisee had but little respect for Christ, and

had not given him the best and innermost place at the feast; but there he

lay with his uncovered feet towards the door, and the woman, almost

unperceived, came close to him, and, as she looked and saw that the

Pharisee had refused him the ordinary courtesy of washing his feet, and

that they were all stained and travel-worn with his long journeys of love,

she began to weep, and the tears fell in such plenteous showers that they

even washed his feet. Here was holy water of a true sort. The crystal of

penitence falling in drops, each one as precious as a diamond. Never were

feet bedewed with a more precious water than those penitent eyes showered

forth. Then, unbinding those luxurious tresses, which had been for her the

devil's nets in which to entangle souls, she wiped the sacred feet therewith.

Surely she thought that her chief adornment, the crown and glory of her

womanhood, was all too worthless a thing to do service to the lowest and

meanest part of the Son of God. That which once was her vanity now was

humbled and yet exalted to the lowest office; she made her eyes a ewer and

her locks a towel. "Never," says bishop Hall, "was any hair so preferred as

this; how I envy those locks that were graced with the touch of those sacred

feet."

There a sweet temptation overtook her, "I will even kiss those feet, I will

humbly pay reverence to those blessed limbs." She spake not a word, but

how eloquent were her actions! better even than psalms and hymns were

these acts of devotion. Then she bethought her of that alabaster box

containing perfumed oil with which, like most Eastern women, she was

wont to anoint herself for the pleasure of the smell and for the increase of

her beauty, and now, opening it, she pours out the costliest thing she has

upon his blessed feet. Not a word, I say, came from her; and, brethren, we

would prefer a single speechless lover of Jesus, who acted as she did, to ten

thousand noisy talkers who have no gifts, no heart, no tears. As for the

Master, he remained quietly acquiescent, saying nothing, but all the while

drinking in her love, and letting his poor weary heart find sweet solace in

the gratitude of one who once was a sinner, but who was to be such no

more.

Grace, my brethren, deserves our praise, since it does so much for its

object. Grace does not choose a man and leave him as he is. My brethren

and sisters, men rail at grace sometimes as though it were opposed to

morality, whereas it is the great source and cause of all complete morality--

indeed, there is no real holiness in the sight of God except that which grace

creates, and which grace sustains. This woman, apart from grace, had

remained black and defiled still to her dying day, but the grace of God

wrought a wondrous transformation, removing the impudence of her face,

the flattery from her lips, the finery from her dress, and the lust from her

heart. Eyes which were full of adultery, were now founts of repentance; lips

which were doors of lascivious speech, now yield holy kisses--the

profligate was a penitent, the castaway a new creature. All the actions

which are attributed to this woman illustrate the transforming power of

divine grace. She exhibited the deepest repentance. She wept abundantly.

She wept out of no mere sentimentalism, but at the remembrance of her

many crimes. She wept for sorrow and for shame as she thought over her

early childhood, and how she had slighted a mother's training, how she

had listened to the tempter's voice, and hurried on from bad to worse.

Every part of her life-story would rise before her as a painfully vivid

dream. The sight of those blessed feet helped her to remember the

dangerous paths into which she had wandered; the sluices of grief were

drawn up, and her soul flowed out in tears. O blessed Spirit of grace, we

adore thee as we see the rock smitten and the waters gushing. "He causeth

his wind to blow and the waters flow."

Note the woman's humility. She had once possessed a brazen face, and

knew no bashfulness, but now she stands behind the Saviour. She did not

push herself in before his face; she was content to have the meanest

standing-place. If she might not venture to anoint his head, yet, if she

might do service to his feet, she blushed as she accepted the honour. Those

who serve the Lord Jesus truly, have a holy bashfulness, a shrinking sense

of their own unworthiness, and are content to fulfil the very lowest office in

his household. That is no service for Christ when thou wouldst need ride

the king's horse, and wear the king's garment, and have it said, "This is the

man whom the king delighteth to honour." That is serving thyself rather

than Christ, when thou covetest the chief place in the synagogue, and

wouldst have men call thee Rabbi. But that is real service when thou canst

care for the poor; when thou canst condescend to men of low estate, and

become a teacher of the ignorant and an instructor of babes. He serves well

who works behind his master's back, unknown and unperceived--toiling in

the dark, unreported, unapplauded, and happy to have it so. See, beloved,

how in a woman who was once so shameless, grace plants and makes to

flourish the fair and modest flower of true humility.

Yet was the woman courageous, for she must have needed much courage to

enter into a Pharisee's house. The look of a Pharisee to this woman must

have been enough to freeze summer into howling winter. Those Pharisees

had an insufferable contempt of everybody who was not of their own

clique, who did not fast twice a week, and tithe their mint, anise, and

cummin; they said, by every gesture, "Stand by, I am holier than thou." To

a person of infamous character, the pompous Pharisee would be doubly

contemptuous, and a woman conscious of unworthiness would be sorely

wounded by his manners; besides, at a feast, her tears would be much out

of place, and therefore she would be the more rudely rebuked; but how

fearless she was, and how bravely she held her tongue when Simon railed!

What will not men and women do when grace moves them to love, and

love prompts them to courage! Ay, into the very jaws of hell the grace of

God would make a believer dare to enter, if God commanded him. There is

no mountain too high for a believing foot to scale, and no furnace too hot

for a believing heart to bear. Let Rome and its amphitheatres, Piedmont

and its snow, France and its galleys, Smithfield and its stakes, the

Netherlands and their rivers of blood, all speak of what grace can do when

once it reigns in the heart, what heroes it can make of the very weakest and

most timid of God's children, where it rules supreme.

I have said that in every part of this woman's action grace is honoured,

and it is so more especially in this respect, that what she did was

practical. Hers was not pretence, but real and expensive service. The

religion of some professors stops short at their substance; it costs them

nothing, and, I fear, is worth nothing. They appear before the Lord empty.

They buy no sweet cane with money, neither does the Lord receive the fat of

their sacrifices. I must confess myself utterly at a loss to understand the

piety of some people. I thank God I am not bound to understand it, and that

I am not sent into the world to be a judge of my fellow creatures, but I do

greatly wonder at the religion of many. There are to be found, and I have

found them, persons whose love to Christ is of such a sort that they give

to his cause the larger proportion of their substance, and do so gladly,

thinking it a privilege; yea, I know some who pinch themselves--some of the

poor and needy, who stint themselves that they may give to Christ. Such are

doubtless blessed in the deed. I do not understand those men who have

thousands upon thousands of pounds, perhaps hundreds of thousands, and

profess to love Christ, and dole out their gifts to Jesus in miserable

fragments. I must leave them to their Master, to be judged at the last, but I

confess I do not understand them or admire them. If I did love Christ at all,

I would love him so that I would give him all I could, and if I did not do

that, I think I would say, "He is not worth it, and I will not be a sham

professor. It is rank hypocrisy to profess love and then to act a miserly

part. Let those who are guilty of it settle the account between God and

their own souls. This woman's alabaster box was given freely, and if she

had had more to give, she would have given it, after the spirit of that

other woman, that memorable widow, who had two mites, which made a

farthing, which were all her living, but she gave it all out of love to

God. Grace reigns indeed with high control when it leads men who naturally

would be selfish to practice liberality in the cause of the Redeemer. Let

these gleanings suffice, the vintage of the fruits of grace is too great

for us to gather it all this morning.

3. I would have you remark, in the third place, that grace is seen by

attentive eyes in our Lord's acceptance of what this chosen vessel had to

bring. Jesus knew her sin. The Pharisee wondered that Jesus did not shrink

from contact with her. You and I may wonder too. We sometimes feel it a

task to have to commune with persons of a certain character even when

they profess to repent: our Lord's sensitiveness of the guilt of sin was much

keener than ours, yet he rested still upon the couch, and quietly accepted

what she brought, permitted her the fond familiarity of kissing his feet

again and again, and to bedew them with her tears--permitted all that, I

say, and accepted all that, and herein made his grace to shine most

brightly. Oh, that Jesus should ever accept anything of me, that he should

be willing to accept my tears, willing to receive my prayers and my praises!

We cheerfully accept a little flower from a child, but then the flower is

beautiful, and we are not far above the child; but Jesus accepts from us that

which is in its nature impure, and upbraids us not. O grace, how

condescending thou art; see, believer, Jesus has heard thy prayers and

answered them; he has blessed thy labours, given thee souls as thy reward,

and at this moment that which is in thy heart to do for him he receives, and

he raises no objection, but takes what thou bringest to him, takes it with

joy. O grace, thou art grace indeed, when the offerings of unworthy ones

become dear unto Jesus' heart.

4. Further, grace is displayed in this narrative when you see our Lord Jesus

Christ become the defender of the penitent. Everywhere grace is the object

of human cavil: men snap at it like evening wolves. Some attack it at the

fountain head; they cannot endure the doctrine of election. Some professors

almost foam at the mouth at the very mention of the word "predestination;"

they cannot bear it, and yet it is God's truth, let them say what they will,

and there shall it stand, let them kick against the pricks if they dare.

"It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that

sheweth mercy." Would to God men would give up their rebellious

questionings and bow before the King of kings. On this occasion, Simon

cavilled at grace in that a sinful woman should be allowed to approach the

Lord, he would have put her in quarantine at the least, if not in prison.

Some object to grace in its perpetuity, they struggle against persevering

grace; but others, like this Simon, struggle against the bounty of grace.

How could such a woman as she was be permitted to draw so near to Christ?

Certain captious spirits will demand, "How should Jesus give to such

unworthy ones such acceptance, such manifestations of himself, such

privileges?" Our Lord took upon himself to defend her, and therefore she

might well afford to hold her tongue. So shall it be with you. If Satan

accuse you, and your enemies with loud-mouthed accusations cry out against

you, you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who

will certainly plead your cause and clear you. Jesus by his defensive

parable shows that he was justified in letting the woman approach, because

great love prompted her. There was no sin in her approach, but much to

commend, since her motive was excellent, and the motive is the true measure

of a deed. She felt intense love and gratitude towards the person who had

forgiven her; therefore, her acts were not to be forbidden, but commended.

He justifies her and incidentally justifies himself. Had he not done well in

having won a sinner's heart to penitence and love? Was not election

justified in having chosen one to such holy devotedness and fervency? At

the last great day, the Lord will justify his grace before the eyes of the

whole universe, for he will allow the grace-wrought virtues of his chosen

ones to be unveiled, and all eyes shall see that grace reigns through

righteousness. Then shall they for ever be silenced who accused the grace

of God of leading to licentiousness, for they shall see that in every case

free forgiveness led to gratitude, and gratitude to holiness. The chosen

shall be made choice men. Grace chose them notwithstanding all their

deformities; but when it has cast about them a supernal beauty, they shall

be the wonder and admiration of the universe, evidently made to be the

noblest and best of mankind. Show me where grace ever created sin! You

cannot, but lo, in what a manner has grace created holiness! It is not

ashamed to let its chosen sheep appear before the great dividing Shepherd's

throne, for of them all it shall be said, "Come, ye blessed of my Father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for

I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me

drink." Grace does not smuggle men into heaven, but brings them up to

heaven's requirements through the Spirit and the blood.

5. Once more, my brethren, the grace of God is seen in this narrative in the

bestowal of yet richer favours. Great grace saved her, rich grace

encouraged her, unbounded grace gave her a divine assurance of forgiveness.

It was proved that she was forgiven, for she loved much, but she had never

received the full assurance of it. She was a hopeful penitent rather than a

confirmed believer. But the Master said, "Thy sins are forgiven thee;" from

that moment full assurance of faith must have occupied her soul. And then

he gave her that choice dismissary benediction, "Go in peace," by which the

peace of God which passeth all understanding henceforth kept her mind, so

that even when she had to go out of this world into the unknown realm, she

heard in the midst of Jordan's billows, the divine sentence, "Go in peace."

Ah! beloved, you know not what grace can do for you. God is not stinted in

his grace. If he has lifted you up out of the miry clay he can do more, he

can set your feet upon a rock. If on the rock you already stand, he can do

more, he can put a new song into your mouth; and if already you lift the

joyous hymn, he can do more yet, he can establish your goings. You do not

know the exceeding bounty of your own heavenly Father yet. Unfathomable is

his goodness. Arise and enjoy it. Behold the whole land is before you, from

Dan unto Beersheba--all the provisions of the covenant of grace belong to

you. Have but faith, and you shall yet comprehend with all saints what are

the heights and depths, and know the love of Christ which passeth

knowledge.

Here, then, was grace in its object, grace in its fruit, grace in the

acceptance of that fruit, grace in the defence which Jesus made of the

gracious one, and grace in the blessings bestowed upon her. May grace

deal thus bountifully with us.

II. We have but two or three moments left for what requires far more space,

namely, LOVE.

The word blossoms with roses, and suggests the voice of the turtle and the

singing of birds. Our time, however, binds us to a narrow path, which we

must not leave, although the beds of lilies on either hand invite us.

Love--its source: it bubbles up as a pure rill from the well-head of grace.

She loved much, but it was because much had been forgiven. There is no

such thing as mere natural love to God. The only true love which can burn

in the human breast towards the Lord, is that which the Holy Ghost

himself kindles. If thou truly lovest the God who made thee and redeemed

thee, thou mayst be well assured that thou art his child, for none but his

children have any love to him.

Its secondary cause is faith. The fiftieth verse tells us, "Thy faith hath

saved thee." Our souls do not begin with loving Christ, but the first lesson

is to trust. Many penitents attempt this difficult task; they aspire to reach

the stair-head without treading the steps; they would needs be at the

pinnacle of the temple before they have crossed the threshold. First trust

Christ for the pardon of thy sin: when thou hast done this, thy sins are

forgiven, and then love shall flash to thy heart as the result of gratitude

for what the Redeemer has done for thee. Grace is the source of love, but

faith is the agent by which love is brought to us.

The food of love is a sense of sin, and a grateful sense of forgiveness. If

you and I felt more deeply the guilt of our past lives, we should love

Jesus Christ better. If we have but a clearer sense that our sins deserve

the deepest hell, that Christ suffered what we ought to have suffered in

order to redeem us from our iniquities, we should not be such coldhearted

creatures as we are. We are perfectly monstrous in our want of love to

Christ, but the true secret of it is a forgetfulness of our ruined and lost

natural estate, and a forgetfulness of the sufferings by which we have been

redeemed from that condition. O that our love might feed itself this day,

and find a renewal of its strength in remembering what sovereign grace has

done.

Love in the narrative before us shines in the fact that the service the

woman rendered to our Lord was perfectly voluntary. No one suggested it,

much less pressed it upon her. It takes the gloss off our service when we

need to be dragged to it, or pushed forward by some energetic pleader.

Brethren, the anointing was impromptu with her. Christ was there, and it

was at her own suggestion that she anointed his feet. Mary of Bethany had

not then set the example: the woman who was a sinner was an original in

her service. In these days we have many inventors and discoverers for our

temporal use and service, why should we not have inventors for Jesus who

will bring out new projects of usefulness? We are most of us content to

travel in the old rut, but if we had more love to Jesus we should be more

eccentric, and should have a degree of freshness about our service which at

present is all too rare. Lord, give us the love which can lead the way!

Her service to Jesus was personal. She did it all herself, and all to him. Do

you notice how many times the pronoun occurs in our text? "She stood at

his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did

wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed

them with the ointment." She served Christ himself. It was neither service

to Peter, nor James, nor John, nor yet to the poor or sick of the city, but to

the Master himself; and, depend upon it, when our love is in active

exercise, our piety will be immediately towards Christ-- we shall sing to

him, pray to him, teach for him, preach for him, live to him. Forgetfulness

of the personality of Christ takes away the very vitality of our religion.

How much better will you teach, this afternoon, in your Sabbath-school

class, if you teach your children for Christ! How much better will you go

forth this evening to tell to others the way of salvation, if you go to do

it for his sake! Then you court no man's smile--you fear no man's frown. It

is enough for you that you have done it for the Master, and if the Master

accepts it you have the reward in that very fact.

The woman's service showed her love in that it was fervent. There was so

much affection in it--nothing conventional; no following chilly propriety,

no hesitating enquiry for precedents. Why did she kiss his feet? Was it not

a superfluity? What was the good of it? Did it not look sentimental,

affected, sensuous, indelicate? Little did she care how it looked; she knew

what she meant. She could not do otherwise. Her whole soul went out in

love, she acted naturally as her heart dictated, and, brethren, she acted

well. O for more of this guileless piety, which hurls decorum and

regulation to the winds. Ah, throw your souls into the service of Christ; let

your heart burn in his presence, and let all your soul belong to Jesus. Serve

not your Master as though you were half asleep, do not work with drooping

hands and half-closed eyes, but wake up the whole of your powers and

passions: for such love as he has shown to you, give the most awakened

and quickened love in return. O for more of this love! If I might only pray

one prayer this morning, I think it should be that the flaming torch of the

love of Jesus should be brought into every one of our hearts, and that all

our passions should be set ablaze with love to him.

One thought more, and I am done. This woman's love is a lesson to us in

the opportunity which she seized. She was evidently but just pardoned: she

was rather a weeper than one who had learned to rejoice, and yet for all

that, she would serve him at the first dawn of her spiritual life. Now, you

young converts, no longer say, "We will do something for Christ in a few

years' time, when we have made our calling and election sure; we will wait

till we have grown in grace, and then try to do what we can." No, no, but

as soon as you are washed, bring your offering to Jesus. The very day of

your conversion, enlist in his army, for speedy obedience is beautiful.

Perhaps if this woman had lingered, she had never anointed the Lord at all;

but in the hot flush of her first love, she did well to perform at once this

zealous, fervent act. Young converts maintain, by God's grace, the warmth

of the blood which circulates in the church's veins. Old churches generally

become diseased churches when they cease to grow. I do not know a

church in all England without conversions which is at all in a happy

spiritual state. The fact is, the fresh comers stir us all up by their

fervour, their simplicity, their childlike confidence. Now, beloved ones,

we encourage you to show this. For our sakes, for your own sakes, for

Christ's sake, do not hesitate--if there be anything you can do, though you

are uneducated in the divine school, do it. Though there may be a dozen

blunders in the method, yet do it, for Christ will accept it. The Pharisee

may cavil--well, perhaps it may keep his tongue from other mischief--let

him cavil, you can bear it, Christ will defend you, Jesus will accept you;

and as a reward for doing what you can, he may be pleased to give you

grace to do more, and may breathe over you a full assurance of faith, which

had you been idle you might not for years have attained; and he may give

you a peace of conscience in serving him which, had you sat still, might

never have come to you. I beseech all of you who love Jesus, do not hide

the light you have under a bushel, but come out and show it. If you have

but a little faith, use it; if you have only a grain of faith, turn it to

account. Put the one talent out at interest, and use it for the Master at

once, and the Lord bless you in such a work, by increasing your faith and

love, and making you to be as this woman was, a highly favoured servant of

this blessed Master. May the Lord give every one of you his blessing, for

Jesus' sake.

---

Saving Faith

March 15, 1874

by

C. H. SPURGEON

"Thy faith hath saved thee."-- Luke 7:50 ; and Luke 18:42 .

I do not remember that this expression is found anywhere else in the Word

of God. It is found in these two places in the Gospel by Luke, but not in

any other Gospel. Luke also gives us in two other places a kindred, and

almost identical expression, "Thy faith hath made thee whole." This you

will find used in reference to the woman whose issue of blood had been

staunched (Luke 8:48 ), and in connection with that one of the ten lepers

who returned to praise the Saviour for the cure he had received (Luke 17:19 ).

You will find the expression, "Thy faith hath made thee whole"

once in Matthew and twice in Mark, but you find it twice in Luke, and

together therewith the twice repeated words of our text, "Thy faith hath

saved thee." Are we wrong in supposing that the long intercourse of Luke

with the apostle Paul led him not only to receive the great doctrine of

justification by faith which Paul so plainly taught, and to attach to faith

that high importance which Paul always did, but also to have a peculiar

memory for those expressions which were used by the Saviour, in which

faith was manifestly honoured to a very high degree. Albeit Luke would

not have written anything which was not true for the sake of maintaining

the grand doctrine so clearly taught by the apostle, yet I think his full

conviction of it would help to recall to his memory more vividly those

words of the Lord Jesus from which it could be more clearly learned or

illustrated. Be that as it may, we know that Luke was inspired, and that he

has written neither more nor less than what the Saviour actually said, and

hence we may be quite sure that the expression, "Thy faith hath saved

thee," fell from the Redeemer's lips, and we are bound to accept it as pure

unquestionable truth, and we may repeat it ourselves without fear of

misleading others, or trenching upon any other truth. I mention this

because the other day I heard an earnest friend say that faith did not save

us, at which announcement I was rather surprised. The brother, it is true,

qualified the expression, and showed that he meant to make it clear that

Jesus saved us, and not our own act of faith. I agreed with what he meant,

but not with what he said, for he had no right to use an expression which

was in flat contradiction to the distinct declaration of the Saviour, "Thy

faith hath saved thee." We are not to strain any expression to make it mean

more than the speaker intended, and it is well to guard words from being

misunderstood; but on the other hand, we may not quite go so far as

absolutely to negative a declaration of the Lord himself, however we may

mean to qualify it. It is to be qualified if you like, but it is not to be

contradicted, for there it stands, "Thy faith hath saved thee." Now we shall

this morning, by God's help, inquire what was it that saved the two persons

whose history will come before us? It was their faith. Our second inquiry

will be what kind of faith was it which saved them? and then thirdly, what

does this teach us in reference to faith?

I. WHAT WAS IT THAT SAVED the two persons whose history we are about to

consider?

In the penitent woman's case, her great sins were forgiven her and she

became a woman of extraordinary love: she loved much, for she had much

forgiven. I feel, in thinking of her, something like an eminent father of the

church who said, "This narrative is not one which I can well preach upon;

I had far rather weep over it in secret." That woman's tears, that woman's

unbraided tresses wiping the Saviour's feet, her coming so near to her Lord

in such company, facing such proud cavillers, with such fond and resolute

intent of doing honour to Jesus; verily, among those that have loved the

Saviour, there hath not lived a greater than this woman who was a sinner.

Yet for all that Jesus did not say to her, "Thy love hath saved thee." Love is

a golden apple of the tree of which faith is the root, and the Saviour took

care not to ascribe to the fruit that which belongs only to the root. This

loving woman was also right notable for her repentance. Mark ye well

those tears. Those were no tears of sentimental emotion, but a rain of holy

heart-sorrow for sin. She had been a sinner and she knew it; she

remembered well her multitude of iniquities, and she felt each sin deserved

a tear, and there she stood weeping herself away, because she had offended

her dear Lord. Yet it is not said, "Thy repentance hath saved thee." Her

being saved caused her repentance, but repentance did not save her. Sorrow

for sin is an early token of grace within the heart, yet it is nowhere said,

"Thy sorrow for sin hath saved thee." She was a woman of great humility.

She came behind the Lord and washed his feet, as though she felt herself

only able to be a menial servant to perform works of drudgery, and to find

a pleasure in so serving her Lord. Her reverence for him had reached a

very high point; she regarded him as a king, and she did what has

sometimes been done for monarchs by zealous subjects--she kissed the feet

of her heart's Lord, who well deserved the homage. Her loyal reverence led

her to kiss the feet of her Lord, the Sovereign of her soul, but I do not find

that Jesus said, "Thy humility hath saved thee;" or that he said, "Thy

reverence hath saved thee;" but he put the crown upon the head of her

faith, and said expressly, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."

In the case of the blind man to whom my second text refers--this man was

notable for his earnestness; he cried, and cried aloud, "Son of David, have

mercy on me." He was notable for his importunity, for they who would

have silenced him rebuked him in vain; he cried so much the more, "Son of

David, have mercy on me." But I do not discover that Christ attributed his

salvation to his prayers, earnest and importunate though they were. It is not

written, "Thy prayers have saved thee"; it is written, "Thy faith hath saved

thee." He was a man of considerable and clear knowledge, and he had a

distinct apprehension of the true character of Christ: he scorned to call him

Jesus of Nazareth, as the crowd did, but he proclaimed him "Son of

David," and in the presence of that throng he dared avow his full

conviction that the humble man, dressed in a peasant's garb, who was

threading his way through the throng, was none other than the royal heir of

the royal line of Judah, and was indeed the fulfiller of the type of David,

the expected Messiah, the King of the Jews, the Son of David. Yet I do not

find that Jesus attributed his salvation to his knowledge, to his clear

apprehension, or to his distinct avowal of his Messiahship; but he said to

him, "Thy faith hath saved thee," laying the entire stress of his salvation

upon his faith.

This being so in both cases, we are led to ask, what is the reason for it?

What is the reason why in every case, in every man that is saved, faith is

the great instrument of salvation? Is it not first because God has a right to

choose what way of salvation he pleases, and he has chosen that men

should be saved, not by their works, but by their faith in his dear Son? God

has a right to give his mercy to whom he pleases; he has a right to give it

when he pleases; he has a right to give it in what mode he pleases; and

know ye this, O sons of men, that the decree of heaven is immutable, and

standeth fast forever--"He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; he

that believeth not shall be damned." To this there shall be no exception;

Jehovah has made the rule and it shall stand. If thou wouldst have

salvation, "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"; but if

not, salvation is utterly impossible to thee. This is the appointed way;

follow it, and it leads to heaven; refuse it, and thou must perish. This is

God's sovereign determination, "He that believeth on him is not

condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he

hath not believed on the Son of God." Jehovah's will be done. If this be his

method of grace, let us not kick against it. If he determines that faith shall

save, so let it be; only, Good Master, create and increase our faith.

But while I attribute this to the sovereign choice of God, I do see, for

Scripture plainly indicates it, a reason in the nature of things why faith

should thus have been selected. The apostle tells us it is of faith that it

might be of grace. If the condition of salvation had been either feeling or

working, then, such is the depravity of our nature, that we should

inevitably have attributed the merit of salvation to the working or the

feeling. We should have claimed something whereof to glory. It matters not

how low the condition may have been, man would have still considered

that there was something required of him, that something came from him,

and that, therefore, he might take some credit to himself. But no man,

unless he be demented, ever claims credit for believing the truth. If he

hears that which convinces him, he is convinced; and if he be persuaded,

he is persuaded; but he feels that it could not well be otherwise. He

attributes the effect to the truth and the influence used. He does not go

about and boast because he believes what is so clear to him that he cannot

doubt it. If he did so boast of spiritual faith, all thinking men would say at

once, "Wherefore dost thou boast in the fact of having believed, and

especially when this believing would never have been thine if it had not

been for the force of the truth which convinced thee, and the working of

the Spirit of God which constrained thee to believe?" Faith is chosen by

Christ to wear the crown of salvation because--let me contradict myself--it

refuses to wear the crown. It was Christ that saved the penitent woman, it

was Christ that saved that blind beggar, but he takes the crown from off his

own head, so dear is faith to him, and he puts the diadem upon the head of

faith and says, "Thy faith hath saved thee," because he is absolutely certain

that faith will never take the glory to herself, but will again lay the crown

at the pierced feet, and say, "Not unto myself be glory, for thou hast done

it; thou art the Saviour, and thou alone." In order, then, to illustrate and

to protect the interests of sovereign grace, and to shut out all vain

glorying, God has been pleased to make the way of salvation to be by faith,

and by no other means.

Nor is this all. It is clear to every one who chooses to think that in order

to the renewal of the heart, which is the chief part of salvation, it is well

to begin with the faith; because faith once rightly exercised becomes the

mainspring of the entire nature. The man believes that he is forgiven.

What then? He feels gratitude to him who has pardoned him. Feeling

gratitude, it is but natural that he should hate that which displeases his

Saviour, and should love intensely that which is pleasing to him who saved

him, so that faith operates upon the entire nature, and becomes the

instrument in the hand of the regenerating Spirit by which all the faculties

of the soul are put into the right condition. As a man thinketh in his heart

so is he, but his thinkings come out of his believings; if he be put right in

his believings, then his understanding will operate upon his affections, and

all the other powers of his manhood, and old things will pass away, all

things will become new through the wonderful effect of the faith, which is

of the operation of God. Faith works by love, and through love it purifies

the soul, and the man becomes a new creature. See ye then the wisdom of

God? He may choose what way he will, but he chooses a way which at once

guards his grace from our felonious boastings, and on the other hand

produces in us a holiness which other wise never would have been there.

Faith in salvation, however, is not the meritorious cause; nor is it in any

sense the salvation itself. Faith saves us just as the mouth saves from

hunger. If we be hungry, bread is the real cure for hunger, but still it would

be right to say that eating removes hunger, seeing that the bread itself

could not benefit us, unless the mouth should eat it. Faith is the soul's

mouth, whereby the hunger of the heart is removed. Christ also is the

brazen serpent lifted up; all the healing virtue is in him; yet no healing

virtue comes out of the brazen serpent to any who will not look; so that the

looking is rightly considered to be the act which saves. True, in the deepest

sense it is Christ uplifted who saves, to him be all the glory; but without

looking to him ye cannot be saved, so that

"There is life in a look,"

as well as life in the Saviour to whom you look. Nothing is yours until you

appropriate it. If you be enriched, the thing appropriated enriches you; yet

it is not incorrect but strictly right to say it is the appropriation of the

blessing which makes you rich. Faith is the hand of the soul. Stretched out,

it lays hold of the salvation of Christ, and so by faith we are saved. "Thy

faith hath saved thee." I need not dwell longer on that point. It is self-

evident from the text that faith is the great means of salvation.

II. WHAT KIND OF FAITH WAS IT that saved these people? I will mention, first,

the essential agreements; and then, secondly, the differentia, or the points

in which this faith differed in its external manifestations in the two cases.

In the instances of the penitent woman and the blind beggar, their faith

was fixed alone in Jesus. You cannot discover anything floating in their

faith in Jesus which adulterated it; it was unmixed faith in him. the woman

pressed forward to him, her tears fell on him; her ointment was for him;

her unloosed tresses were a towel for his; feet she cared for no one else, not

even for the disciples whom she respected for his sake; her whole spirit and

soul were absorbed in him. He could save her; he could blot out her sins.

She believed him; she did it unto him. The same was the case with that

blind man. He had no thought of any ceremonies to be performed by

priests; he had no idea of any medicine which might be given him by

physicians. His cry was, "Son of David, Son of David." The only notice he

took of others was to disregard them, and still to cry, "Son of David, Son of

David." "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" was the Lord's

question, and it answered to the desire of his soul, for he knew that if

anything were done it must be done by the Son of David. It is essential that

our faith must rest alone on Jesus. Mix anything with Christ, and you are

undone. If your faith shall stand with one foot upon the rock of his merits,

and the other foot upon the sand of your own duties, it will fall, and great

will be the fall thereof. Build wholly on the rock, for if so much as a corner

of the edifice shall rest on anything beside, it will ensure the ruin of the

whole:--

"None but Jesus, none but Jesus

Can do helpless sinners good."

All true faith is alike in this respect.

The faith of these two was alike in its confession of unworthiness. What

meant her standing behind? What meant her tears, her everflowing tears,

but that she felt unworthy to draw near to Jesus? And what meant the

beggar's cry, "Have mercy on me?" Note the stress he lays upon it. "Have

mercy on me." He does not claim the cure by merit, nor ask it as a reward.

To mercy he appealed. Now I care not whose faith it is, whether it be that

of David in his bitter cries of the fifty-first Psalm, or whether it be that

of Paul in his highest exaltation upon being without condemnation through

Christ, there is always in connection with true faith a thorough and deep

sense that it is mercy, mercy alone, which saves us from the wrath to come.

Dear hearer, do not deceive yourself. Faith and boasting are as opposite to

one another as the two poles. If you come before Christ with your

righteousness in your hand, you come without faith; but if you come with

faith you must also come with confession of sin, for true faith always walks

hand in hand with a deep sense of guiltiness before the Most High. This is

so in every case.

Their faith was alike, moreover, in defying and conquering opposition.

Little do we know the inward struggles of the penitent as she crossed the

threshold of Simon's house. "He will repel thee," the stern, cold Pharisee

will say, "Get thee gone, thou strumpet; how darest thou defile the doors of

honest men." But whatever may happen she passes through the door, she

comes to where the feet of the Saviour are stretched out towards the

entrance as he is reclining at the table, and there she stands. Simon

glanced at her: he thought the glance would wither her, but her love to

Christ was too well rooted to be withered by him. No doubt he made many

signs of his displeasure, and showed that he was horrified at such a

creature being anywhere near him, but she took no notice of him. Her Lord

was there, and she felt safe. Timid as a dove, she trembled not while he

was near; but she returned no defiant glances for Simon's haughty looks;

her eyes were occupied with weeping. She did not turn aside to demand an

explanation of his unkind motions, for her lips were all engrossed with

kissing those dear feet. Her Lord, her Lord, was all to her. She overcame

through faith in him, and held her ground, and did not leave the house till

he dismissed her with "Go in peace."

It was the same with the blind man. He said, "Son of David, have mercy on

me." They cried, "Hush! Why these clamours, blind beggar? His eloquence

is music; do not interrupt him. Never man spake as he is speaking. Every

tone rings like the harps of the angels. Hush! How darest thou spoil his

discourse?" But over and above them all went up the importunate prayer,

"Son of David, have mercy upon me," and he prevailed. All true faith is

opposed. If thy faith be never tried it is not born of the race of the church

militant. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith,"

but it is indicated in that very declaration that there must be something to

overcome, and that faith must wage war for its existence.

Once more, the faith of these two persons was alike in being openly

avowed. I will not say that the avowal took the same form in both, for it did

not; but still it was equally open. There is the Saviour, and there comes the

weeping penitent. She loves him. Is she ashamed to say so? It may bring

her reproach; it will certainly rake up the old reproaches against her, for

she has been a sinner. Never mind what she has been, nor who may be

present to see her. She loves her Lord, and she will show it. She will bring

the ointment and she will anoint his feet, even in the presence of Pharisees,

Pharisees who would say, "Is this one of the disciples of Christ? A pretty

convert to boast of! A fine conquest this, for his kingdom! A harlot

becomes a disciple! What next and what next?" She must have known and

felt all that, but still there was no concealment. She loved her Lord, and

she would avow it, and so in the very house of the Pharisee, there being no

other opportunity so convenient, she comes forward, and without words,

but with actions far more eloquent than words, she says, "I love him. These

tears shall show it; this ointment shall diffuse the knowledge of it, as its

sweet perfume fills the room; and every lock of my hair shall be a witness

that I am my Lord's and he is mine." She avowed her faith.

And so did the blind man. He did not sit there and say, "I know he is the

Son of David, but I must not say it." They said, some of them

contemptuously, and others indifferently, "It is Jesus of Nazareth." But he

will not have it so. "Thou Son of David," saith he; and loud above their

noise I hear him cry, like a herald proclaiming the King, "Son of David."

Why, sirs, it seems to me he was exalted to a high office: he became the

herald of the King, and proclaimed him, and this belongs to a high officer

of State in our country. The blind beggar showed great decision and

courage. He cried in effect, "Son of David thou art; Son of David I

proclaim thee; Son of David thou shalt be proclaimed, whoever may

gainsay it; only turn thine eyes and have mercy upon me." Are there any of

you here who have a faith in Christ which you are ashamed of? I also am

ashamed of you, and so also will Christ be ashamed of you when he cometh

in the glory of his Father and all his holy angels with him. Ashamed to

claim that you are honest? Then methinks you must live in bad company,

where to be a rogue is to be famous; and if you are ashamed to say, "I love

my Lord," methinks you are courting the friendship of Christ's enemies,

and what can you be but an enemy yourself: If you love him, say it. Put on

your Master's regimentals, enlist in his army, and come forward and

declare, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Their faith was

alike then in these four particulars, it was fixed alone on him, it was

accompanied with a sense of unworthiness, it struggled and conquered

opposition, and it openly declared itself before all comers.

By your patience I shall now try to show the differences between the same

faith as to its manifestations. First, the woman's faith acted like a woman's

faith. She showed tender love, and the affections are the glory and the

strength of women. They were certainly such in her. Her love was intense,

womanly love, and she poured it out upon the Saviour. The man's faith

acted like a man's in its determination and strength. He persisted in crying,

"Thou Son of David." There was as much that was masculine about his

faith as there was of the feminine in the penitent's faith, and everything

should be in its order and after its season. It would not have been meet for

the woman's voice to be heard so boldly above the crowd; it would have

seemed out of place for a man's tears to have been falling upon the

Saviour's feet. Either one or the other might have been justifiable, but they

would not have been equally suitable. But now they are as suitable as they

are excellent. The woman acts as a godly woman should. The man like a

godly man. Never let us measure ourselves by other people. Do not, my

brother, say, "I could not shed tears." Who asked thee to do so? A man's

tears are mostly within, and so let them be: it is ours to use other modes of

showing our love. And, my sister, do not say, "I could not act as a herald

and publicly proclaim the King." I doubt not thou couldest do so if there

were need, but thy tears in secret, and those wordless tokens of love to

Jesus which thou are rendering, are not less acceptable because they are not

the same as a man would give. Nay, they are the better because they are

more suitable to thee. Do not think that all the flowers of God's garden

must bloom in the same colour or shed the same perfume.

Notice next that the woman acted like a woman who had been a sinner.

What more meet than tears? What more fitting place for her than at the

Saviour's feet? She had been a sinner, she acts like a sinner; but the man

who had been a beggar acted like a beggar. What does a beggar do but

clamour for alms? Did he not beg gloriously? Never one plied the trade

more earnestly than he. "Son of David," said he, "have mercy on me." I

should not have liked to have seen the beggar sitting there weeping; nor to

have heard the penitent woman shouting. Neither would have been natural

or seemly. Faith works according to the condition, circumstances, sex, or

ability of the person in whom it lives, and it best shows itself in its own

form, not in an artificial manner, but in the natural outflow of the heart.

Observe, also, that the woman did not speak. There is something very

beautiful in the golden silence of the woman, which was richer than her

silver speech would have been. But the man was not silent; he spoke; he

spoke out, and his words were excellent. I venture to say that the woman's

silence spoke as powerfully as the man's voice. Of the two I think I find

more eloquence in the tears bedewing, and unbraided hair wiping the

Saviour's feet, than in the cry, "Son of David, have mercy on me." Yet both

forms of expression were equally good, the silence best in the woman with

her tears, and the speech best in the man with his confident trust in Christ.

Do not think it necessary, dear friend, in order to serve, to do other

people's work. What thine own hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. If you

think you can never honour Christ till you enter a pulpit, it may be just

possible that you will afterwards honour him best by getting out of it as

quickly as you can. There have been persons well qualified to adorn the

religion of Christ with a lapstone on their lap who have thought it

necessary to mount a pulpit, and in that position have been a hindrance to

Christ and his gospel. Sister, there is a sphere for you; keep to it, let none

push you out of it; but do not think there is nothing else to do except the

work which some other woman does. God has called her, let her follow

God's voice; he calls you in another direction, follow his voice thither. You

will be most like that other excellent woman when you are most different

from her: I mean, you will be most truly obedient to Christ, as she is, if you

pursue quite another path.

There was a difference, again, in this. The woman gave--she brought her

ointment. The man did the opposite--he begged. There are various ways of

showing love to Christ, which are equally excellent tokens of faith. To give

him of her ointment, and give him of her tears, and give him the

accommodation of her hair, was well; it showed her faith, which worked by

love: to give nothing, for the beggar had nothing to give, but simply to

honour Christ by appealing to his bounty and his royal power, was best in

the beggar. I can commend neither above the other, for I doubt not that

both the penitent and the beggar gave Christ their whole heart, and what

more does Jesus ask for from any one?

The thoughts of the woman and the thoughts of the beggar were different

too. Her thoughts were mainly about the past, and her sins--hence her

tears. To be forgiven, that was her point. His thoughts were mainly about

the present, and did not so much concern his sin as his deficiency,

infirmity, and inability, and so he came with different thoughts. I do not

doubt that he thought of sin, as I dare say she also thought of infirmity; but

in her case the thought of sin was uppermost, and hence the tears; in his

the infirmity was uppermost, and hence the prayer, "Lord, that I might

receive my sight." Do not, then, compare your experience with that of

another. God is a God of wonderful variety. The painter who repeats

himself in many pictures has a paucity of conception, but the master artist

scarcely ever sketches the same thing a second time. There is a boundless

variety in genius, and God who transcends all the genius of men, creates an

infinite variety in the works of his grace. Look not, therefore, for likeness

everywhere. The woman, it is said, loved much, and she proved her love by

her acts; but the man loved much too, and showed his love by actions

which were most admirable, for he followed Jesus in the way, glorifying

God. Yet they were different actions. I do not find that he brought any box

of ointment, or anointed Christ's feet, neither do I find that she literally

followed Christ in the way, though no doubt she followed him in the spirit;

neither did she with a loud voice glorify God as the restored blind beggar

did. There are differences of operation, but the same Lord; there are

differences of capacity and differences of calling, and by this reflection I

hope you will be enabled to deliver yourselves from the fault of judging one

by another, and that you will look for the same faith, but not for the same

development of it.

So interesting is this subject that I want you to follow me while I very

rapidly sketch the woman's case, and then the man's, not mentioning the

differences one by one, but allowing the two pictures to impress themselves

separately upon your minds.

Observe this woman. What a strange compound she was. She was

consciously unworthy, and therefore she wept, yet she drew very near to

Jesus. Her acts were those of nearness and communion; she washed his feet

with her tears, she wiped them with the hairs of her head, and meanwhile

she kissed them again and again. "She hath not ceased," said Christ, "to

kiss my feet." A sense of unworthiness, and the enjoyment of communion,

were mixed together. Oh, divine faith which blends the two! She was

shamefaced, yet was she very bold. She dared not look the Master in the

face as yet; she approached him from behind; yet she dared face Simon,

and remain in his room, whether he frowned or no. I have known some

who have blushed in the face of Christ who would not have blushed before

a judge, nor at the stake, if they had been dragged there for Christ's sake.

Such a woman was Anne Askew, humble before her Master, but like a lioness

before the foes of God.

The penitent woman wept, she was a mourner, yet she had a deep joy; I

know she had, for every kiss meant joy. Every time she lifted that blessed

foot, and kissed it, her heart leaped with the transport of love. Her heart

knew bitterness for sin, but it knew also the sweetness of pardon. What a

mixture! Faith made the compound. She was humble, never one more so;

yet see how she takes upon herself to deal with the King himself. Brethren,

you and I are satisfied, and well we may be, if we may wash the saints' feet,

but she was not. Oh, the courage of this woman! She will pass through the

outer court, and get right to the King's own throne, and there pay her

homage, in her own person, to his person, and wash the feet of the

wonderful, the Counsellor, the mighty God. I know not that an angel ever

performed such suit and service, and therefore this woman takes

preeminence as having done for Jesus what no other being ever did. I have

said that she was silent, and yet she spake; I will add, she was despised, but

Christ set her high in honour, and made Simon, who despised her, to feel

little in her presence. I will also add she was a great sinner, but she was a

great saint. Her great sinnership, when pardoned, became the raw stuff out

of which great saints are made by the mighty power of God. Finally she

was saved by faith, so says the text, but if ever there was a case in which

James could not have said, "Shall faith save thee?" and in which he must

have said, "Here is one that shows her faith by her works," it was the case

of this woman. There she is before you. Imitate her faith itself, though you

cannot actually copy her deeds.

Now look at the man. He was blind, but he could see a great deal more

than the Pharisees, who said they could see. Blind, but his inward optics

saw the king in his beauty, saw the splendour of his throne, and he

confessed it. He was a beggar, but he had a royal soul, and a strong

sovereign determination which was not to be put down. He had the kind of

mind which dwells in men who are princes among their fellows. He is not

to be stopped by disciples, nay, nor by apostles. He has begun to pray, and

pray he will till he obtains the boon he seeks. Note well that what he knew

he avowed, what he desired he pleaded for, and what he needed he

understood. "Lord, that I might receive my sight;" he was clear about his

needs, and clear about the only person who could supply them. What he

asked for he expected, for when he was bidden to come he evidently

expected that his sight would be restored, for we are told by another

Evangelist that he cast away his beggar's cloak. He felt he should never

want to beg again. He was sure his eyes were about to be opened. Lastly,

what he received he was grateful for, for as soon as he could walk without

a guide he took Christ to be his guide, and followed him in the way,

glorifying him. Look on both pictures. May you have the shadows and the

lights of both, as far as they would tend to make you also another and

distinct picture by the selfsame artist, whose hand alone can produce such

wonders.

III. WHAT DOES THIS TEACH US IN REFERENCE TO FAITH?

It teaches us first that faith is all important. Do, I pray you, my hearers,

see whether you have the precious faith, the faith of God's elect. Remember

there are not many things in Scripture called precious, but there is the

precious blood, and there goes with it the precious faith. If you have not

that you are lost; if you have not that you are neither fit to live nor fit to

die; if you have not that, your eternal destiny will be infinite despair; but

if you have faith, though it be as a grain of mustard seed, you are saved.

"Thy faith hath saved thee."

Learn next that the main matter in faith is the person whom you believe. I

do not say in whom you believe. That would be true, but not quite so

scriptural an expression. Paul does not say, as I hear most people quote it,

"I know in whom I have believed." Faith believes Christ. Your faith must

recognise him as a person, and come to him as a person, and rest not in his

teaching merely, or his work only, but in him. "Come unto me, all ye that

labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." A personal Saviour

for sinners! Are you resting on him alone? Do you believe him? You know

the safety of the building depends mainly upon the foundation, and if the

foundation be not right, you may build as you will, it will not last. Do you

build, then, on Christ alone? Inquire about that as a special point.

Observe next, that we must not expect exactly the same manifestation in

each convert. Let not the elders of the church expect it, let not parents

require it from their children; let not anxious friends look for it; do not

expect it in yourself. Biographies are very useful, but they may become a

snare. I must not judge that I am not a child of God because I am not

precisely like that good man whose life I have just been reading. Am I

resting in Christ? Do I believe him? Then it may be the Lord's grace is

striking out quite a different path for me from that which has been trodden

by my brother, that it may illustrate other phases of its power, and show to

principalities and powers the exceeding riches of divine love.

And, lastly, the matter which sums up all is this, if we have faith in Jesus

we are saved, and ought not to talk or act as if there were any question

about it. "THY FAITH HATH SAVED THEE." Jesus says it. Granted, you

have faith in Christ, and it is certain that faith hath saved you. Do not,

therefore, go on talking and acting and feeling as if you were not saved. I

know a company of saved people who say every Sabbath, "Lord, have

mercy upon us, miserable sinners"; but they are not miserable sinners if

they are saved, and for them to use such words is to throw a slight upon the

salvation which Christ has given them. If they are saved sinners they ought

to be rejoicing saints. What some say others do not say, but they act as if it

were so. They go about asking God to give them the mercy they have

already obtained, hoping one day to receive what Christ assures them is

already in their possession, talking to others as if it were a matter of

question whether they were saved or not, when it cannot be a matter of

question. "Thy faith hath saved thee." Fancy the poor penitent woman

turning round and saying to the Saviour, "Lord, I humbly hope that it is

true." There would have been neither humility nor faith in such an

expression. Imagine that blind man, when Christ said, "Thy faith hath

saved thee," saying "I trust that in future years it will be found to be so."

It would be a belying at once of his own earnest character and of Christ's

honesty of speech. If thou hast believed, thou art saved. Do not talk as if

thou wert not, but now down from the willows take thy harp, and sing unto

the Lord a new song. I have noticed in many prayers a tendency to avoid

speaking as if facts were facts. I have heard this kind of expression, "The

Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we desire to be glad." The text

is, "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad;" and if

the Lord has done these great things for us our right is to be glad about

them, not to go with an infamous "if" upon our lips before the Lord who

cannot lie. If ye are dealing with your fellow creatures, suspect them, for

they mostly deserve it; if ye are listening to their promises, doubt them, for

their promises go to be broken; but if ye are dealing with your Lord and

Master, never suspect him, for he is beyond suspicion; never doubt his

promises, for heaven and earth and hell shall pass away, but not one jot or

tittle of his word shall fail. I claim for Christ that ye cast away forever

all the talk which is made up of "buts," and "ifs," and "peradventures," and

"I hope," and "I trust." You are in the presence of One who said, "Verily,

verily," and meant what he said, who is "the Amen, the faithful and true

witness."

You would not spit in his face if he were here, yet your "ifs" and "buts" are

so much insult cast upon his truth. You would not scourge him, but what

do your doubts do but vex him and put him to shame? If he lies, never

believe him; if he speaks the truth, never doubt him. Then shall ye know

when ye have cast aside your wicked unbelief, that your faith has saved

you, and ye will go in peace.

---

Go in Peace

September 23rd, 1883 by C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892)

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." Luke 7:50 .

There appear to have been four stages in Christ's dealing with this woman. I know not what had preceded the narrative as we have it recorded in this chapter; I need not enter into that question now. There had, doubtless, been a work of the Spirit of God upon that woman's heart, turning her from her sin to her Saviour; but when she stood at our Master's feet, raining tears of penitence upon them, wiping them with the hairs of her head, giving to them kisses of love, and anointing them with the ointment from the alabaster box, there were four stages m his gracious dealings with her. The first was, when he silently accepted her manifestations of love. When the copious tears from her eyes fell upon his feet, he did not withdraw them. When those feet were wiped with the luxuriant tresses of her hair, still he did not withdraw them; and when she ventured upon a yet closer familiarity, and not only kissed his feet, but did not cease to kiss them, he still did not withdraw them, but quietly accepted all that she did. And when the precious ointment was poured in lavish abundance upon those precious feet of his, he did not upbraid her, he did not refuse her gifts, but tacitly accepted them, though without a word of acknowledgment just then. And I think it is a very blessed thing for any one of you to be accepted before God, even though no word has come from his lips assuring you that it is so. When your tears, and cries, and secret love, and earnest seeking,--when your confession of sin, your struggle after faith, and the dawnings of your faith are just accepted by the Lord, though as yet he has not said to you, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," it is a very blessed stage for you to have reached, for the Lord does not begin to accept anyone, even by a silence which means consent, and then draw back. He accepted this woman's love and gifts, though, for a time, he gave her no assurance of that acceptance, and that fact must have greatly cheered her. Manoah's wife said to him, "If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands;" and I feel sure that, if the Lord had not meant to bestow his mercy upon this woman, he would not have submitted to her washing of his feet with her tears, and wiping them with the hairs of her head, and the subsequent continual kissing of them, and anointing of them with the precious ointment. Our Lord's favourable inclination towards this woman was still more marked in the second stage of his dealings with her, when he began to defend her against her accuser. When Simon's evil thoughts had condemned her, and her Lord also, Jesus spoke that wonderful parable which set forth the greatness of this woman's love, and justified the extraordinary way in which she manifested it. Christ did not speak to her, but he spoke up for her; and such action as that should be quite sufficient to stay the soul of a believer in him. What though my Lord has not revealed himself to me? He has revealed himself to the Father for me. What if he has not spoken to me? Yet, if he has spoken to God on my behalf, if he has Spoken in the Scriptures in defence of poor sinners, and advocated their cause in the High Court of Heaven, then how thankful I may be, and how thankful they may be! In the third stage, our Lord did still more for this woman, for he spoke to her these gracious words, "Thy sins are forgiven." Oh, how they must have dropped like dew into her poor soul! How she must have been refreshed by them! She, who was a sinner, a great sinner, a public sinner,--ay, a professional sinner, hears her Saviour say to her, "Thy sins are forgiven." The absolution pronounced by the man who calls himself a priest is utterly worthless; but it would be worth while to give a thousand worlds, if we had them, for absolution from our great High Priest! Yes, he who knew all about the woman's sin, he who had power on earth to forgive sins, had said to her, "Thy sins are forgiven." Was not that enough for her? Would not that short sentence set all the bells of her heart ringing as long as ever she lived? Ay, but there was still more to follow, for the Lord spoke to her a second time, and said, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." So she was not only delivered from the guilt of sin, but she was also delivered from the power of sin. Her faith had saved her; she was a saved woman, so she might go in peace. Now she is enjoying the sunlight of full assurance, the bright clear noontide of acknowledged acceptance: "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." Some of us have this great blessing, and we rejoice in it; but if others of you have not come quite so far on the heavenly road, do not begin murmuring, or doubting. Bless the Lord Jesus Christ for any favour that he has shown to you, a poor unworthy sinner; and if you have even the faintest ray of light, pray him to make your path like that of the just, which "shineth more and more unto the perfect day." If you have received any token for good from your Lord, be thankful for it, and expect ere long to hear in your soul the sweet music of this gracious word, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." So we have come to our text, in which two things are, very clearly revealed. The first is, an assurance: "Thy faith hath saved thee and the second is, a dismission: "Go in peace." I. First, then, here is AN ASSURANCE: "Thy faith hath saved thee." That assurance teaches us, first, that salvation is a present thing: "Thy faith hath saved thee." This is something that is already accomplished. You are saved; not, you shall be saved; but you are even now in possession of the priceless boon of salvation: "Thy faith hath saved thee." All through the Scriptures, and especially in the New Testament, it is plainly asserted that believers in Christ are already in possession of salvation. I will not stay to prove that it is so, but will rather explain it. If anyone says to me, "In what respect are believers saved?" I answer, that they are saved in the price, in the promise, in the principles, and in the pledge of salvation. The alliteration will help you to remember these four points. First, they are saved in the price of salvation. All that was necessary to save them from the result of sin has been endured by the Lord Jesus Christ. He has ransomed them by his death upon the cross. He has stood in their stead, and borne their sin in his own body on the tree, and suffered the full penalty for it. He has finished the transgression, and made an end of sin, and made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in for them everlasting righteousness; so that they are saved. The great work of their salvation was completed by Christ upon the cross when he laid down his life for them, and now they are "bought with a price," even "the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Next, they are saved in the promise of salvation. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who cannot lie, hath declared "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God's promise is certain of fulfilment, so that every believer in Jesus may be absolutely sure of salvation. We often take the cheque of a man who is known to be in a good financial position, and we consider his cheque to be as good as if it were hard cash; and, in like manner, we accept God's promise of salvation as being just as sure as the salvation itself. Paul tells us that God's promise has been confirmed by an oath, "that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." Then, thirdly, we have salvation in the principles of it; that is to say, all those graces, which constitute the essentials of a perfect character, are in every true child of God. There is given to us, when we are regenerated, the very same life which we are to live for ever in heaven. We have now the root, the bulb, the seed, out of which immortality and perfection will most surely grow; we may not yet be perfect, but we have that which will come to perfection. We have within us a new nature, which cannot sin, because it is born of God; and this will gradually overcome the old nature, as the Israelites drove out the Canaanites, and we shall be perfect before the throne of the Most High. A man may have, in a very small room, a whole field of wheat lying in embryo, in the seed which is to be sown in the springtime, and reaped in the autumn; and we have, in the gift of God's grace, all heaven in embryo, in the seeds of faith and love, and the work of the Holy Spirit within our souls. Thus, we have salvation in the principles of it. And, once more, we have salvation in the pledge of it; for, when the Holy Spirit enters our heart, his coming there is the pledge and the earnest of heaven. There is a difference between a pledge and an earnest, and what I really mean is rather an earnest than a pledge. A pledge is taken back again, but an earnest is retained. A man, who has his wages to take at the end of the week, may get some earnest money in the middle of the week; and, if his master is what he should be, that will be a pledge that he will get the rest. So, the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who virtually puts heaven into us, and makes us fit to be in the heaven which Christ has gone to prepare for us. What a mercy it is to have the witness of the Holy Spirit, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our Heavenly Father, to have aspirations after holiness which we never had in our unregenerate state! All this is the pledge of heaven; and in having the pledge, we have practically the salvation itself. The Holy Spirit would not have come into our hearts, and given us all these blessings, if he had not meant to "perfect that which concerneth us," and to save us in the Lord with an everlasting salvation. Salvation, then, is a present thing, in price, in promise, in principles, and in pledge; but the important question for each of you to answer is, Have you obtained that salvation? If you have not, you are in a truly terrible condition, for you are "condemned already" because you have "not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God." But if you have obtained this salvation, then you are indeed rich to all eternity. Perhaps you live in one poor room, and have to work very hard for a livelihood, yet you are much richer than those emperors and kings, who have much earthly pomp and state, hut who are not the subjects of God's grace, for you are saved; the Lord has given you that salvation which can never be taken away from you. So, rejoice in this salvation; and, if you have little else to cover you, let this salvation be your royal apparel; let this salvation load your table with heavenly dainties; let this salvation smooth your path, however rough it may be, and cheer your heart, however great your trials may be. So, this assurance means that salvation is a present thing. Next, it teaches us that salvation is obtained by faith: "Thy faith hath saved thee." "But," says someone, "was it not the Lord Jesus Christ who saved her?" Yes, certainly it was; but do you see what Christ does? He is so fond of faith that he takes the crown from his own head, and puts it on the head of faith, as he says to the woman, "Thy faith hath saved thee." Is that a safe thing for Christ to do? Oh, yes! because faith at once removes the crown from her own head, and puts it back upon Christ's, saying, "Not unto me, not unto me, but unto thy name be all the glory." Christ loves to crown faith because faith loves to crown Christ. As for boasting, faith cannot tolerate that for a moment; she hurls it out of the window, and will have nothing further to do with it. Our Saviour speaks thus, "Thy faith hath saved thee," because he knows that it will be understood that faith is only the connecting link with himself, that he really works the salvation, but that the faith of the believer is the means of obtaining it. There are four things concerning this faith, which I want you to notice, and I will put them under the same letter that I used before, so that it may be the easier for you to remember them. First, this woman's faith was a personal faith: "Thy faith hath saved thee." O dear friends, I implore you to give up all idea, of being saved by anybody else's faith! Thou must believe in Jesus for thyself, or thou wilt be a lost man for ever. What a dreadful falsehood it is when men stand up, as sponsors for a child, and promise and vow various things, none of which are within their power to perform! As to anything that anybody ever promised with regard to your soul, what can another person do for you in such a matter as that? The most earnest faith in your parents can never bring you to heaven, unless you also have faith in Jesus. There is a great blessing which may come to us through the faith of others, if they exercise it in prayer on our behalf; but, still, salvation can never come to us apart from our own personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He said to the woman, "Thy faith hath saved thee;" not Peter's faith, nor James's faith, nor John's faith, but her own; and thou also must have faith for thyself, or thou wilt assuredly be lost. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved;" but if thou dost not personally believe on him, thou canst not be saved. Notice, next, that this woman's faith was a practical faith. She was saved by faith, and not by works; but, she was not saved by a faith which did not produce works. Think of her works, she washes the Master's feet with her tears, and wipes them with the hairs of her head; she kisses them repeatedly, and anoints them with her precious ointment. I may truly say of her, "She hath done what she could." All that her affection prompted, her devotion performed; for she had the faith which works by love; and if you, dear friends, have a faith that never works for Christ, I beg you to get rid of it at once, for it will turn out to be a bastard faith. The faith that never kisses his feet is a faith that he will tread under his feet. The faith that never anoints him is a faith that will have no fragrance in his esteem, and he will not accept it. We are not saved by works and faith combined, much less by works alone; but, nevertheless, the faith which saves is not a barren faith; it produces the good fruit of love and service for Christ, So this woman's faith was personal and practical. It was also a penitent faith. While she stood at Christ's feet, behind him, her eyes showered tears upon them as she wept over her sin. I am always doubtful of the genuineness of a dry-eyed faith. The longer I live, the more I am afraid of those people who profess to leap into faith without any repentance; and there seem to be some, in these days, who do not believe in the old-fashioned sorrow for sin. I would rather see some men less confident than they are if they were more humbled on account of their past transgressions. This woman manifested a truly penitent faith. And, once more, it was a pure faith; I use that word pure to help your memory, and I mean that her faith was perfectly simple. She wept, but she did not trust in her weeping. She anointed Christ's feet with the ointment, but she did not rely upon her self-sacrifice. She kissed his feet, but she did not depend upon her kisses. Where was her trust all placed? Why, upon Christ, and-upon him alone. I do not know that she had ever read the Old Testament; certainly, she could not have read the New Testament, for it was not written then. She may not have known much about the Bible, but she knew him who is the very sum and substance of the Bible. I have heard people talk about a Body of Divinity; but there never was but one in the highest sense of the term, and Jesus Christ is that Body of Divinity. He is, in the truest sense, "the Word of God." This woman had seen him, she had learned to know him, he had forgiven her sin, and she had come into that house full of love to him, and full of trust in him, and now from his own lips she receives this gracious assurance, "Thy faith hath saved thee." It was faith in him, and in nothing else. There was not, and there could not, have been, in her case, anything to trust to but Christ. She was, in a very emphatic sense, a sinner; she had not set herself up as being a person of good character; there were, no doubt, scores of people in the city who could have borne lamentable evidence of her sinfulness. But she trusted herself absolutely to Jesus Christ, the sinners' Saviour, and she trusted him alone, and so her faith was proved to he of that pure kind that saves all who exercise it. Let yours be like that, dear friend, personal, practical, penitential, and pure. Further, upon this first point, note that salvation may be a matter of assurance. This woman had the assurance from Christ's own lips, "Thy faith hath saved thee." Those of you who were at the prayer-meeting here, last Monday night, will remember that one of our brethren, when he was giving an address, made you smile when he said, "He that believeth On the Son hath everlasting life," and then added, "h-a-t-h, that spells 'got it.'" That is a queer mode of spelling, which is not taught at the Board School; yet it is a heavenly way of spelling, and it is perfectly correct. "H-a-t-h; that spells 'got it.'" If you have the blessing of salvation, there is a possibility of knowing that you have it. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life;" he has got it; he has got it now. "I should believe it," says one, "if Jesus Christ spoke to me, and said so." My dear friend, he has said it in his Word. Is that Word a lie, or is it true? If it is true, then what more do you want? Christ has written it in his Word; and I like a thing that is written even better than that which is spoken. You know how a man says, when he wants a guarantee about a bargain, "Give it to me in writing; for some people will swear that they never said what we ourselves heard them say, so give it me in black and white." Well, here it is in black and white: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life;" and again, "There is therefore now" "now," mark, "no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus;" and yet again, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Now, cannot you also say, "got it"? Oh, but!" says someone, "I want evidence that it is so." Very well, you shall have evidence; you shall have the witness of the Spirit who has renewed you; you shall have the witness of your changed life; you shall have the witness of your new character; but, first of all, is not Christ's Word sufficient for you? Is not Christ's written Word enough? Is not this Book, which you believe to have been inspired by the Holy Ghost, and which reveals the Word of the Lord, enough for you? It is enough for me. If all the men in the world were to come, one after another, after I had read something in the Bible, and were all to say, in their different languages, "That is a lie," I should not believe it an atom the less; and suppose they were all to stand up, and say, "It is true," I should reply, "Of course it is, but I do not need your word to confirm what Christ has said." I am perfectly satisfied if he has said it; and there it stands, and all the powers of hell cannot prevail to overthrow it. Here is the solid rock for a soul to rest upon. Christ says, at this moment, to everyone who believes in him, and trusts in his blood and righteousness, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." II. So we come to the latter part of our text, which is, A DISMISSION: "Go in peace." What did Our Lord mean by saying this? I think he meant, first, "Quit this place of controversy, and go in peace." Do you notice that it was when those, who sat at meat with him, began to say within themselves, "Who is this that forgiveth sins also?" that he said to the woman, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace"? See the black looks of those Jews, those Pharisees, round about Simon's table. Why, they are as sour as vinegar, and full of all kinds of scepticism, so the Saviour says to the woman, "Go home good soul, away from all of them." So, dear friends, whenever you meet with a book that is full of scepticism and unbelief, especially you who have lately found the Saviour, you had better throw it away. "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." Unbelief will be no help to thee; thy faith hath already saved thee; then, what more dost thou want? Thou hast the assurance within thine own soul that thou art saved; do not go anywhere, or do anything to damage that assurance. I do not think it is worth while to go through a horse pond, and get covered with filth, just for the pleasure of being afterwards washed. It may be that some strong man, like another Samson, may have to go in among the Philistines, and pull their temple down about their ears; but poor Hannah could not do that, and those who are like her the women of a sorrowful spirit, had better go home, and get out of the way of that set of wranglers. They may even be wrangling professors, squabbling about this doctrine and that, and perhaps not understanding any of them properly; so the Saviour says to you, "You have the assurance of salvation; do not let anybody worry you out of that. Go in peace." This is what the apostle means when he says, "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations." Then, next, I think our Saviour meant his words to the woman, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace;" to be a kind of dismission of her case from the Court. Here is Simon in thought accusing her, and thinking that she ought not to be permitted to come and touch the Master's feet, and here is the Lord Jesus Christ not only becoming a pleader for her, but deciding the case in her favour as he says to her, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." This was in effect saying, "Your case is dismissed; there is nothing against you. The Court clears you; go home, good soul." What a mercy it is when the Lord speaks thus to anyone! "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Christ has given us our dismission from the Court of Justice, so let us "go in peace." May not our Lord also have meant something more than we see upon the surface of these words? May he not have meant, "Go home in peace to thy daily avocations"? Ah! she had done a deal of mischief in that home of hers by her sin; for there never was a fallen woman who brought a blessing to her family while she lived in sin. And now that the Saviour has given to her the assurance of salvation, he says to her, "Go home, and attend to your ordinary household duties. Go and act as a woman should. Fulfil your part as a mother, or a daughter, or a servant, or whatever your calling may be. Go in peace." Do you not also think that this dismissory word would last her as long as ever she lived, --and that, all her life through, she would seem to hear the Saviour saying to her, "Go in peace"? Perhaps she was to go upstairs, and lie there ill; but she was to "go in peace." Possibly, she was to come down, and to confront opposition and persecution; if so, she was still to hear this message, "Go in peace." I think that word would come to her every morning as soon as ever she woke; and when she was about to close her eyes, and go to sleep, she would still hear it. With such a gracious message as that, she could even go through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and "fear no evil." It may be that is just what the Lord meant it for, that, when she came to die, and she may have died a martyr's death, we cannot tell, at any rate, whenever she came to die, this message was ringing in her ears, "Go in peace." The practical point that I want to bring home to you Christian people, to you who are saved, is this. Beloved friends, as you go to your families, as you go through life, as you go into eternity, I pray you to "go in peace." It is heaven begun below to possess "the peace Of God, which passeth all understanding." Peace should be the continual portion of all believers. This is what the angels sang when our Lord Jesus appeared on earth, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to-ward men." And as it was at tho beginning Of Our Saviour's life, so it was at the end, for this was our Lord's legacy to all his disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." That which gives one of his titles even to God himself-for he is called "the God of peace," should be very precious to your soul. Peace is the fit result of what the Saviour has done for you. Has he forgiven you? Then you have peace. Has he saved you? Oh, then, feel an inward peace which none can take from you! Did he die for you? Then you can never die, in the full meaning of the word, so be at rest about that matter. Has he risen for you? Then, because he lives, you shall live also; so, let not your heart be troubled, but be at peace. Will he come again to receive you unto himself? Oh, then, let your peace be like a river flowing from the very throne of God! This peace within your heart is the blessed fruit of the Spirit of peace. Where the Spirit of God is, there must be peace, for he is the Sacred Dove. The fruit of the Spirit within us should be "quietness and assurance for ever." Do not despise this priceless boon of peace; but, as saved souls, covet more and more of it. Do you know what I mean by talking thus to you? Suppose you are thinking to yourself, "Alas! I am going home to an ungodly husband;" never mind, dear wife, "go in peace." "Oh, but! to-morrow, I have to go out among ungodly men." Never mind; "go in peace." Do not go among them disturbed and fluttered, but sing to yourself softly,

"My heart is resting, O my God!"

"Go in peace." Perhaps you are going to the sick-bed of one of your dearest friends. Possibly, there is one at home, who is so depressed in spirit as to depress you too. Never mind; "go in peace." It will strengthen you to have your own heart at peace. I remember once seeing an accident on a hill. I feared that a man had broken his leg, and I know that someone ran to fetch a doctor, and when he came, to my surprise, he walked coolly up to where the man was. If I had been sent for, I should have ran myself out of breath to get to the poor man; and when I reached him, I should have been all of a tremble, and should not have been able to do anything properly. But when the doctor heard that there was a man with his leg broken, he walked quietly to the spot, and the result was that he was able to do his work properly. Our Lord Jesus Christ was never in a hurry. It is marvellous to contemplate the leisure of the greatest Worker who ever lived. He always moved along with a holy calm and quiet dignity, and he therefore did everything well. Do you likewise; "go in peace," for it shall be your strength. Sometimes, your strength is to sit still; and, always, the joy of the Lord shall be your strength. This is the way in which you are to glorify God in your life, by going in peace. When this woman went back to her home, that same woman who had been such a poor, trembling, broken, bruised reed, because of her sin, those who knew her enquired, "What has come to Mary?"--if that was her name; I do not know; "What has come to her? Why, she looks so placid, so calm, she is not like the same woman that she used to be." I have no doubt that she was rather quick-tempered, for most very loving spirits are like that. "But now," say her friends, "she takes things so differently; she is so still, and quiet, and restful." Just so; and then they took knowledge of her, that she had been with Jesus, and had learned of him, for that was his style and his manner also. Ah, dear hearts! if Christ has saved you, you have the best reason in all the world for being the quietest, happiest people who ever lived. One said, one day, to a person who had spoken of his salvation in tones of assurance, "You ought to be the happiest man that lives;" and he answered, "So I am." It was well known that he was very poor, that he did not know where he would get a second coat to his back; but, then, he thought that he did not want a second coat till he had worn out the first one. They said that he did not know where he would get his next breakfast; but he had had his supper, so he was quite content to wait till God should give him his breakfast. He had such simple faith in God that, though he was so very poor, yet he said he was the happiest man in all the world. Go in for that, beloved, for surely you have a right to it if you are a believer in Jesus. Your greatest sorrows are over, your heaviest burdens Christ has carried; the most terrible disaster that could ever happen to you has been averted by him; the most fearful calamity that you once had cause to dread can never come to you. You are an heir of God, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. You shall have all you really need in this life, and you shall have the heaven of God in the life to come. The supreme act of God, by which he blesses eternally, has been performed upon you already. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, have all united to bless you; and the covenant of peace is signed, and sealed, and ratified, and you must and shall conquer at the last. So, "Let not Your heart be troubled; neither lot it be afraid;" but say to yourself,--

"All that remains for me Is but to love and sing, And wait until the angels come To bear me to the King."

Kelly Commentary on Books of the Bible

The preface of Luke's gospel is as instructive as the introduction of either of the two preceding gospels. It is obvious to any serious reader that we enter a totally different province, though all be equally divine; but here we have a stronger prominence given to human motive and feeling. To one who needed to learn more of Jesus, writes another godly man, inspired of God, but without drawing particular attention to the fact of inspiration, as if this were a doubtful matter; but, on the contrary, assuming, as all Scripture does, without express statement, that the written word is the word of God. The purpose is, to set before a fellow Christian a man of rank, but a disciple an account, full, accurate, and orderly, of the Lord Jesus, such as one might give that had thorough acquaintance with all the truth of the matter, but in fact such as none could give who was not inspired of God for the purpose. He lets us know that there were many of these memoirs formed on the tradition of those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. These works have departed; they were human. They were, no doubt, well-intentioned; at least there is here no question of heretics perverting the truth, but of men attempting in their own wisdom to set forth that which only God was competent rightly to make known.

At the same time Luke, the writer of this gospel, apprises us of his motives, instead of presenting a bare and needless statement of the revelation he had received. "It seemed good to me also," etc., is in contrast with these many that had taken it in hand. They had done the work in their fashion, he after another sort, as he proceeds next to explain. Clearly he does not refer to Matthew or Mark, but to accounts that were then handed about among Christians. It could not be otherwise than that many would essay to publish a relation of facts so weighty and engrossing, which, if they had not themselves seen, They had gathered from eye-witnesses conversant with the Lord. These memoirs were floating about. The Holy Ghost distinguishes the writer of this Gospel from these men quite as much as joins him with them. He states that they depended upon those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word. He says nothing of the kind about himself, as has been rashly inferred from the phrase "to me also," etc., but, as is evident, proceeds to give a wholly different source for his own handling of the matter. In short, he does not intimate that his account of these things was derived from eye-witnesses, yet speaks of his thorough acquaintance with all from the very first, without telling us how he came by it. As for the others, they had taken in hand to "set forth in order a declaration of these things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eye-witnesses." He does not impute falsehood; he affirms that their histories were derived from the traditions of men who saw, heard, and waited on Christ here below; but he attributes no divine character to these numerous writers, and intimates the need of a surer warrant for the faith and instruction of disciples. This he claims to give in his gospel. His own qualification for the task was, as one that had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto Theophilus in order that he "might know the certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed."

In that expression, "from the very first," he lets us into a difference between his own gospel and the memoirs current among Christians. "From the very first", means that it was an account from the origin or outset, and is fairly rendered in our version. So it is that we find in Luke that he traces things with great fulness, and lays before the reader the circumstances that preceded and that accompanied the whole life of our Lord Jesus Christ up to His ascension to heaven.

Now, he does not enter more than other inspired writers do into an assertion or explanation of his inspired character, which Scripture assumes everywhere. He does not tell us how it was he acquired his perfect understanding of all he communicates. It is not the way of inspired writers to do either. They speak "with authority," even as our Lord taught "with authority;" "not as the scribes" or tradition-mongers. He claims indeed the fullest acquaintance with the subject, and the statement of which would not suit any other evangelist but Luke. It is one who, though inspired like the rest, was drawing his friend and brother with the cords of a man. Inspiration does not as a rule in the least degree interfere with the individuality of the man; still less would it here where Luke is writing of the Son of God as man, born of a woman, and this to another man. Hence he brings out in the preface his own thoughts, feelings, materials for the work, and the blessed aim contemplated. This is the only gospel addressed to a man. This naturally fits, and lets us into the character of the gospel. We are here about to see our Lord Jesus preeminently set forth as man, man most really as such not so much the Messiah, though, of course, that He is; nor even the minister; but the man. Undoubtedly, even as man He is the Son of God, and so He is called in the very first chapter of this gospel. The Son of God He was, as born into the world; not only Son of God before He entered the world, but Son of God from everlasting. That holy thing which should be born of the virgin was to be called the Son of God. Such was His title in that point of view, as having, a body prepared Him, born of a woman, even of the Virgin Mary. Clearly, therefore, this indicates, from the beginning of the gospel, the predominance given to the human side of the Lord Jesus here. What was manifest in Jesus, in every work and in every word of His, displayed what was divine; but He was none the less man; and He is here viewed as such in everything. Hence, therefore, it was of the deepest interest to have the circumstances unerringly marked out in which this wondrous man entered the world, and walked up and down here. The Spirit of God deigns by Luke to open the whole scene, from those that surrounded the Lord with the various occasions that appealed to His heart, till His ascension. But there is another reason also for the peculiar beginning of St. Luke. Thus, as he of the evangelists most of all approaches the great apostle of the Gentiles, of whom to a certain extent he was the companion, as we know from the Acts of the Apostles, counted by the apostle one of his fellow-labourers, too, we find him acting, by the Holy Ghost's guidance, upon that which was the great distinguishing character of the apostle Paul's service and testimony "To the Jew first, and also to the Gentile."

Accordingly our gospel, although it is essentially Gentile, as it was addressed to a Gentile and written by a Gentile, begins with an announcement that is more Jewish than any other of the four gospels. It was precisely so with Paul in his service. He began with the Jew. Very soon the Jews proceeded to reject the word, and prove themselves unworthy of eternal life. Paul turned to the Gentiles. The same thing is true of our gospel, so akin to the apostle's writings, that some of the early Christian writers imagined that this was the meaning of an expression of the apostle Paul, far better understood of late. I refer to it now, not because of any truth in that notion, for the remark is totally false; but at the same time, it shows that there was a kind of feeling of the truth underneath the error. They used to imagine that Paul meant the gospel of Luke when he said, " My [or our] Gospel." Happily most of my hearers understand the true bearing of the phrase enough to detect so singular an error; but still it does show that even the dullest of men could not avoid perceiving that there was a tone of thought, and current of feeling, in the gospel of Luke which harmonized very largely with the apostle Paul's testimony. Yet it was not at all as bringing out what the apostle Paul calls his gospel, or "the mystery of the gospel," etc.; but certainly it was the great moral groundwork through which it lay at any rate, which most thoroughly accorded with, and prepared for it. Hence it is, after presenting Christ in the richest grace to the godly Jewish remnant, that we have first and fully given by Luke the account of God's bringing the first-begotten Son into this world, having it in His purpose to put in relation with Him the whole human race, and most especially preparing the way for His grand designs. and counsels with regard to the Gentiles. Nevertheless, first of all, He justifies Himself in His ways, and shows that He was ready to accomplish every promise that He had made to the Jews.

What we have, therefore, in the first two chapters of Luke, is God's vindication in the Lord Jesus presented as the One in whom He was ready to make good all His old pledges to Israel. Hence the whole scene agrees with this feeling on God's part towards Israel. A priest is seen righteous according to the law, bus his wife without that offspring which the Jews looked for as the mark of God's favour towards them. Now God was visiting the earth in grace; and, as Zechariah ministered in the priest's office, an angel, even there a stranger, except for purposes of pity towards the miserable betimes (John 5:1-47), but long unseen as the witness of the glorious ways of God, announced to him the birth of a son, the forerunner of the Messiah. The unbelief even of the godly in Israel was apparent in the conduct of Zacharias; and God reproved it with inflicted dumbness, but failed not in His own grace. This, however, was but the harbinger of better things; and the angel of the Lord was despatched on a second errand, and re-announces that most ancient revelation of a fallen paradise, that mightiest promise of God, which stands out from all others to the fathers and in the prophets, and which, indeed, was to compass within itself the accomplishment of all the promises of God. He makes known to the virgin Mary a birth no way connected with nature, and yet the birth of a real man; for that man was the Son of the Highest a man to sit upon the throne, so long vacant, of His father David.

Such was the word. I need not say that there were truths still more blessed and profounder than this of the throne of Israel, accompanying that announcement, on which it is impossible to dwell now, if we are tonight to traverse any considerable part of our gospel. Suffice it to say, we have thus all the proofs of God's favour to Israel, and faithfulness to His promises, both in the forerunner of the Messiah, and in the birth of the Messiah Himself. Then follows the lovely burst of praise from the mother of our Lord, and soon after, when the tongue of him that was smitten dumb was loosed, Zacharias speaks, first of all to praise the Lord for His infinite grace.

Luke 2:1-52 pursues the same grand truths: only there is more at hand. The opening verses bring this before us. God was good to Israel, and was displaying His faithfulness accordingly to, not the law, but His promises. How truly the people were in bondage. Hostile Gentiles had the upper hand. The last great empire predicted in Daniel was then in power. "It came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed [or enrolled]. (And this taxing [or enrolment] was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one to his own city." Such was the thought of the world, of the imperial power of that day, the great Roman beast or empire. But if there was a decree from Caesar, there was a most gracious purpose in God. Caesar might indulge his pride, and count the world his own, in the exaggerated style of human ambition and self-complacency; but God was now manifesting what He was, and oh, what a contrast. The Son of God, by this very deed, providentially enters the world at the promised place, Bethlehem. He enters it after a different sort from what we could have ever drawn from the first gospel, where we have Bethlehem still more significant]y mentioned: at any rate, prophecy is cited on the occasion as to the necessity of its being there. That information even the scribes could render to the Magi who came to adore. Here there is nothing of the sort. The Son of God is found not even in an inn, but in the manger, where the poor parents of the Saviour laid him. Every mark follows of the reality of a human birth, and of a human being; but it was Christ the Lord, the witness of the saving, healing, forgiving, blessing grace of God. Not only is His cross thus significant, but His birth, the very place and circumstances being all most evidently prepared. Nor this only; for although we see not here Magi from the East, with their royal gifts, their gold, and frankincense, and myrrh, laid at the feet of the infant king of the Jews, here we have, what I am persuaded was yet more beautiful morally, angelic converse; and suddenly, with the angel (for heaven is not so far off), the choirs of heaven praising God, while the shepherds of earth kept their flocks in the path of humble duty.

Impossible, without ruining, to invert these things! Thus you could not transplant the scene of the Magi into Luke, neither would the introduction of the shepherds, thus visited by the grace of God by night, be so proper in Matthew. What a tale this last told of where God's heart is! How evident from the very first it was, that to the poor the gospel was preached, and how thoroughly in keeping with this Gospel! and we might truly affirm the same I will not say of the glory that Saul saw and taught but most certainly of the grace of God which Paul preached also. This does not hinder that still there is a testimony to Israel; although sundry signs and tokens, the very introduction of the Gentile power, and the moral features of the case, also make it evident that there is something more than a question of Israel and their King. Nevertheless, there meets us here the fullest witness of grace to Israel. So even in the words, somewhat weakened in our version, where it is said, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be," not to all people, but "to all the people." This passage does not go beyond Israel. Manifestly this is entirely confirmed by the context, even if one did not know a word of that language, which, of course, proves what I am now advancing. In the next verse it is, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." It is evident that, as far as this goes, He is introduced strictly as the One who was to bring in His own person the accomplishment of the promises to Israel.

The angels go farther when they say, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will in men." It is not exactly good will toward men, which is here the point. The word expresses God's good will and complacency in men; it does not say exact]y in man, as if it were only in Christ, though surely this was true in the very highest sense. For the Son of God became, not an angel, but really a man, according to Hebrews ii. It was not the cause of angels that He undertook, or was interested about: it was men He took up. But here appears a good deal more: it is God's delight in man now that His Son is become a man, and witnessed by that astonishing truth. His delight in men, because His Son becoming a man was the first immediate personal step in that which was to introduce His righteousness in justifying sinful men by the cross and resurrection of Christ, which is at hand. Thereby in virtue of that ever-accepted person, and the efficacy of His work of redemption, He could have also the selfsame delight in those that were once guilty sinners, now the objects of His grace for ever. But here, at any rate, the person, and the condition of the person too, by whom all this blessing was to be procured and given, were before His eyes. By the condition of the person is meant, of course, that the Son of God was now incarnate, which even in itself was no small proof, as well as pledge, of the complacency of God in man.

Afterwards Jesus is shown us circumcised, the very offering that accompanied the act proving also still more the earthly circumstances of His parents their deep poverty.

Then comes the affecting scene in the temple, where the aged Simon lifts up the child in his arms; for it had been "revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." So he goes by the Spirit into the temple at this very time. "And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." It is evident that the whole tone is not what we may call formal; it was not that the work was done; but undoubtedly there was virtually in Christ "God's salvation" a most suitable truth and phrase for the companion of him whose fundamental point was "God's righteousness." The Spirit might not yet say "God's righteousness", but He could say "God's salvation." It was the person of the Saviour, viewed according to the prophetic Spirit, who would, in due time, make good everything as to God and man. "Thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to lighten", or rather to reveal "the Gentiles;" a light for the revelation of the Gentiles- "and the glory of thy people Israel." I do not regard the former as a millennial description. In the millennium the order would be exactly inverse; for then God will assuredly assign to Israel the first place, and to the Gentiles the second. The Spirit gives Simeon a little advance upon the terms of the prophetic testimony in the Old Testament. The babe, Christ, was a light, he says, for the revelation of the Gentiles, and for the glory of His people Israel. The revelation of the Gentiles, that which was about to follow full soon, would be the effect of the rejection of Christ. The Gentiles, instead of lying hidden as they had been in the Old Testament times, unnoticed in the dealings of God, and instead of being put into a subordinate place to that of Israel, as they will be by and by in the millennium, were, quite distinctly from both, now to come into prominence, as no doubt the glory of the people Israel will follow in that day. Here, indeed, we see the millennial state; But the light to lighten the Gentiles far more fully finds its answer in the remarkable place which the Gentiles enter now by the excision of the Jewish branches of the olive tree. This, I think, is confirmed by what we find afterwards. Simeon does not pretend to bless the child; but when he blesses the parents, he says to Mary, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel." It is plain that the Spirit gave him to set forth the Messiah cut off, and the effect of it, "for a sign," he adds, "that shall be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also" a word that was accomplished in the feelings to Mary at the cross of the Lord Jesus. But there is more: Christ's shame acts as a moral probe, as it is said here- "That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." May I not ask, where could we find such language, except in Luke? Tell me, if you can, any other of the evangelists, whom it would suit for a moment?

Nor is it only to these words I would call your attention, as eminently characteristic of our gospel. Take the mighty grace of God revealed in Christ, on the one hand; on the other, take the dealing with the hearts of men as the result of the cross morally. These are the two main peculiarities which distinguish the writings of Luke. Accordingly also we find that, the note of grace being once struck in the heart of Simeon, as well as of those immediately connected with our Lord Jesus in His birth, it extends itself widely, for joy cannot be stifled or hid. So the good news must flow from one to another, and God takes care that Anna the prophetess should come in; for here we have the revival, not only of angel visits, but of the prophetic Spirit in Israel. "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age," and had waited long in faith, but, as ever, was not disappointed. "She was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant," etc. How good the Lord is in thus ordering circumstances, no less than preparing the heart! "She, coming in that instant, gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem."

Nor is this all the Spirit gives here. The chapter closes with a picture of our Saviour that is admirably consonant to this gospel, and to no other; for what gospel would it suit to speak of our Lord as a youth? to give us a moral sketch of this wondrous One, now no longer the babe of Bethlehem, but in the lowly company of Mary and Joseph, grown up to the age of twelve years? He is found, according to the order of the law, duly with His parents in Jerusalem for the great feast; but He is there as one to whom the word of God was most precious, and who had more understanding than His teachers. For Him, viewed as man, there was not only the growth of the body, but also development in every other way that became man, always expanding, yet always perfect, as truly man as God. "He increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." But there is more than this; for the inspired writer lets us know how He was reproached by His parents, who could but little understand what it was for Him even then to find His meat in doing the will of God. As they journeyed from Jerusalem, missing Him, they return, and find Him in the midst of the doctors. A delicate place it might seem for a youth, but in Him how beautiful was all! and what propriety! "Both hearing them", it is said, "and asking them questions." Even the Saviour, though full of divine knowledge, does not take the place now of teaching with authority never, of course, as the scribes. But even though consciously Son and the Lord God, still was He the child Jesus; and as became One who deigned to be such, in the midst of those older in years, though they knew infinitely less than Himself, there was the sweetest and most comely lowliness. "Both hearing them, and asking them questions." What grace there was in the questions of Jesus! what infinite wisdom in the presence of the darkness of these famous teachers! Still, which of these jealous rabbis could discern the smallest departure from exquisite and absolute propriety? Nor this only; for we are told that "his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" The secret thus early comes out. He waited for nothing. He needed no voice from heaven to tell Him that He was the Son of God; He needed no sign of the Holy Ghost descending to assure Him of His glory or mission. These were, no doubt, seen and heard; and it was all right in its season, and important in its place; but I repeat that He needed nothing to impart the consciousness that He was the Son of the Father. He knew it intrinsically, and entirely independent of a revelation from another.

There was, no doubt, that divine gift imparted to Him afterwards, when the Holy Ghost sealed the man Christ Jesus. "Him hath God the Father sealed," as it is said, and surely quite right. But the notable fact here is, that at this early age, when a youth twelve years old, He has the distinct consciousness that He was the Son, as no one else was or could be. At the same time He returns with His parents, and is as dutiful in obedience to them as if He were only an unblemished child of man their child. The Son of the Father He was, as really as the Son of man. "He came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." It is the divine person, but the perfect man, perfect in every relation suitable for such a person. Both these truths, therefore, prove themselves to be true, not more in doctrine than in fact.

Then a new scene opens in Luke 3:1-38. "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar" (for men soon pass away, and slight is the trace left by the course of earth's great ones), "Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness." How strange is this state of things! Not only have we the chief power of the world passed into another hand; not only do we see the Edomite a political confusion in the land, but a religious Babel too. What a departure from all divine order! Who ever heard of two high priests before? Such were the facts when the manifestation of the Christ drew near, "Annas and Caiaphas being, the high priests." No changes in the world, nor abasement in the people of the Lord, nor strange conjunction of the priests, nor mapping, out of the land by the stranger, would interfere with the purposes of grace; which, on the contrary, loves to take up men and things at their worst, and shows what God is towards the needy. So John the Baptist goes forth here, not as we traced him in the gospels of Matthew and Mark, but with a special character stamped upon him akin to the design of Luke. "He came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." Here we see the remarkable largeness of his testimony. "Every valley shall be filled," he says, "and every mountain and hill shall be brought low." Such a quotation puts him virtually in connection with the Gentiles, and not merely with the Jew or Jewish purposes. "All flesh," it is therefore added, "shall see the salvation of God."

It is evident that the terms intimate the widening of divine grace in its sphere. This is apparent in the manner in which John the Baptist speaks. When he addresses the multitude, observe how he deals with them. It is not a question now of reproving Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, as in Matthew, but while he here solemnly warns the multitude, the evangelist records his words to each class. They were the same as in the days of the prophets; they were no better after all. Man was far from God: he was a sinner; and, without repentance and faith, what could avail their religious privileges? To what corruption had they not been led through unbelief? "O generation of vipers," he says, "who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father." This, again, accounts for the details of the different classes that come before John the Baptist, and the practical dealing with the duties of each an important thing, I believe, for us to bear in mind; for God thinks of souls; and whenever we have real moral discipline according to His mind, there is a dealing with men as they are, taking them up in the circumstances of their every-day life. Publicans, soldiers, people they each hear respective]y their own proper word. So in that repentance, which the gospel supposes as its invariable accompaniment, it is of moment to bear in mind that, while all have gone astray, each has also followed his own way.

But, again, we have his testimony to the Messiah. "And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or not; John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people." . And here, too, you will observe an evident and striking illustration of Luke's manner. Having introduced John, he finishes his history before he turns to the subject of the Lord Jesus. Therefore he adds the fact, that "Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him, added yet this above all the evil that he had done, that he shut up John in prison." Hence it is clear that the order of Luke is not here, at any rate, that of historic fact. This is nothing peculiar. Any one who is at all acquainted with historians, either ancient or modern, must know that they do the same thing. It is common and almost inevitable. Not that they all do so, any more than all the evangelists; but still it is the way of many historians, who are reckoned amongst the most exact, not to arrange facts like the mere chroniclers of an annual register, which confessedly is rather a dull, rude way of giving us information. They prefer to group the facts into classes, so as to bring out the latent springs, and the consequences even though unsuspected, and, in short, all they desire of moment in the most distinct and powerful manner. Thus Luke, having introduced John here, does not care to interrupt the subsequent account of our Lord, till the embassy of John's messengers fell into the illustration of another theme. There is no room left for misunderstanding this brief summary of the Baptist's faithful conduct from first to last, and its consequences. So true is this, that he records the baptism of our Lord by John immediately after the mention that John was put in prison. Chronological sequence here manifestly yields to graver demands.

Next comes the baptism of those who resorted to John, and above all of Christ. "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph," etc. Now, at first sight, the insertion of a pedigree at this point seems irregular enough; but Scripture is always right, and wisdom is justified of her children. It is the expression of a weighty truth, and in the most fitting, place. The Jewish scene closes. The Lord has been fully shown to the righteous remnant, i.e. what He was to Israel. God's grace and faithfulness to His promises had presented to them an admirable testimony; and the more so, as it was in the face of the last great or Roman empire. We have had the priest fulfilling his function in the sanctuary; then the angel's visits to Zechariah, to Mary, and, final]y, to the shepherds. We have had also the great prophetic sign of Immanuel born of the virgin, and now the forerunner, greater than any prophet, John the Baptist, the precursor of the Christ. It was all vain. They were a generation of vipers even as John himself testified about them. Nevertheless, on the part of Christ, there was ineffable grace wherever any heeded the call of John albeit the faintest working of divine life in the soul. The confession of the truth of God against themselves, the acknowledgment that they were sinners, drew the heart of Jesus to them. In Him was no sin, no, not the smallest taint of it, nor connection with it: nevertheless, Jesus was with those who repaired to the baptism of John. It was of God. No necessity of sin brought Him there; but, on the contrary, grace the pure fruit of divine grace in Him. He who had nothing to confess or repent was none the less the One that was the very expression of the grace of God. He would not be separated from those in whom there was the smallest response to the grace of God. Jesus, therefore does not for the present take people out of Israel, so to speak, any more than from among men severally into association with Himself; He associates Himself with those who were thus owning the reality of their moral condition in the sight of God. He would be with them in that recognition, not of course for Himself, as if He personally needed, but their companion in His grace. Depend upon it, that this same truth connects itself with the whole career of the Lord Jesus. Whatever the changes may have been before or at His death, they only illustrated increasingly this mighty and fruitful principle.

Who, then, was the baptised man on whom, as He prayed, heaven opened, and the Holy Ghost descended, and a voice from heaven said, "Thou art my beloved Son: in thee I am well pleased"? It was One whom the inspiring Spirit here loves to trace finally up thus: "Which was the Son of Adam, which was the Son of God." One that was going to be tried as Adam was tried yea, as Adam never was tried; for it was in no Paradise that this Second Adam was going to meet the tempter, but in the wilderness. It was in the wreck of this world; it was in the scene of death over which God's judgment hung; it was under such circumstances where it was no question of innocence but of divine power in holiness surrounded by evil, where One who was fully man depended on God, and, where no food, no water was, lived by the word of God. Such, and far far more, was this man Christ Jesus. And hence it is that the genealogy of Jesus seems to me precisely where it ought to be in Luke, as indeed it must be whether we see it or not. In Matthew its insertion would have been strange and inappropriate had it there come after His baptism. It would have no suitableness there, because what a Jew wanted first of all to know was the birth of Jesus according to the Old Testament prophecies. That was everything, we may say, to the Jew in the first place, to know the Son that was given, and the child that was born, as Isaiah and Micah predicted. Here we see the Lord as a man, and manifesting this perfect grace in man a total absence of sin; and yet the very One who was found with those who were confessing sin! "The Son of Adam, who was the Son of God." That means, that He was One who, though man, proved that He was God's Son.

Luke 4:1-44 is grounded upon this; and here it is not merely after the dispensational style of Matthew that we find the quotation given, but thoroughly in a moral point of view. In the gospel of Matthew, in the first temptation, our Lord owns Himself to be man, living not by mere natural resource, but by the word of God; in the second He confesses and denies not Himself further to be Messiah, the temptation being addressed to Him as in this capacity; the last clearly contemplates the glory of the "Son of man." This I clearly call dispensational. No doubt it was exactly the way in which the temptation occurred. The first temptation was to leave the position of man. This Christ would not do. "Man", He says, "shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." It is much more important to keep God's word than to live; and, at any rate, the only living He valued was living as man by God's word. This is perfection. Faith holds it for certain that God knows how to take care of man. It was man's business to keep God's word: God would not fail to watch over and protect him. Satan, therefore, was foiled. Then Satan tempted by a quotation from Psalms 91:1-16, which clearly describes the Messiah; assuredly Jesus was not going to deny that. He believed and acted upon it. If He were the Messiah, why not, according to this word, prove God? But the Lord Jesus equally refuted him here, though I need not enter now into the particulars of that which we have already looked at. Then came the last temptation addressed to Him, not as Messiah according to a psalm that refers to it, but rather in His quality of the Son of man about to have all the kingdoms of the world. Here Satan's temptation was, "Why do you not come into their possession and enjoyment now?" Jesus would take them only from God, as the rejected of man, and the sufferer for sin, too; not as the living Messiah here below, as if in a hurry to have the promises fulfilled to Him. In vain was the snare spread in His sight; God alone could give, whoever might actually hold, the kingdoms of the world. The price was too dear to pay, the price of worshipping the devil. Jesus thereon denounces the tempter as Satan.

But this is not what we have in our gospel. Here there is no dispensational order of the temptation suitable to the gospel of Matthew. Such an order, which is here that of the facts also, is exactly according to the design of the Holy Spirit in Matthew. But it suits no other gospel. Mark was not called to furnish more than the record of the temptation, with a graphic touch which reveals its dreary scene, and passes on to the active ministry of our blessed Lord. On the other hand, Luke purposely changes the order a bold step, in appearance, to take, and the more if he knew, as I suppose, what was given by the evangelists who preceded him. But it was necessary to his design, and God, I hope to show, puts His own seal upon this deviation from mere time. For, first of all, we have Jesus tried here as man. This must be in every account of the temptation. It is, of course, as man that even the Son of God was tempted of Satan. Here, however, we have, in the second place, the offer of the kingdoms of the world. This, it will be perceived, does not give prominence, like Matthew, to that momentous change of dispensation which ensued on His rejection by the Jew; it does illustrate what the Holy Ghost here puts forward the temptations rising one above the other in moral weight and import. Such I believe to be the key to the changed order of Luke. The first was a temptation to His personal wants Hath God said you shall not eat of any thing? Surely you are at liberty to make the stones bread! Faith vindicates God, remains dependent on Him, and is sure of His appearing for us in due time. Then comes the offer of the kingdoms of the world. If a good man wants to do good, what an offer! But Jesus was here to glorify God. Him He would worship, Him only would He serve. Obedience, obeying God's will, worshipping Him such is the shield against all such overtures of the enemy. Lastly comes the third temptation, through the word of God, on the pinnacle of the temple. This is not the worldly appeal, but one addressed to His spiritual feeling. Need I remark, that a spiritual temptation is to a holy person far subtler and deeper than anything which connected itself with either our wants or our wishes as to the world? Thus there was a personal or bodily, a worldly, and a spiritual temptation. To attain this moral order Luke abandons the sequence of time. Occasionally Matthew, and indeed no one more than he, deserts the simple order of fact whenever it is required by the Spirit's purpose; but in this case Matthew preserves that order; for it so is that by this means he gives prominence to dispensational truth; while Luke, by arranging the acts of temptation otherwise, brings out their moral bearing in the most admirable and instructive way. Accordingly, from Luke 4:8, "Get thee behind me, Satan: for" disappears in the best authorities. The change of order necessitates the omission. The copyists as often added to Luke what is really the language of Matthew; and even some critics have been so undiscerning as not to detect the imposition. As it stands in the received Greek text and the English version, Satan is told to go, and seems to stand his ground and again tempt the Lord, stultifying His command. But the clause I have named (and not merely the word "for," as Bloomfield imagines) is well known to have no claim to stand, as being destitute of adequate authority. There are good manuscripts that contain the clause, but the weight, for antiquity and character of MSS., and for variety of the old versions, is on the other side, not to speak of the internal evidence, which would be decisive with much inferior external evidence. Hence, too, Satan could hardly be spoken of here as going away like one driven off by indignation, as in Matthew. "And when the devil had ended all the [every] temptation, he departed from him for a season." This lets us into another very material truth, that Satan only went off till another season, when he should return. And this he did for a yet severer character of trial at the end of the Lord's life, the account of which is given us with peculiar elaborateness by Luke; for it is his province above all to show the moral import of the agony in the garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus then returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee. Man was victor over Satan. Unlike the first Adam, the Second Man comes off with energy proved triumphant in obedience. How does He use this power? He repairs to His despised quarters. " And there went out a fame of him to all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up." The fact that follows is mentioned here, and here only, with any detail; whatever allusion there may be to it elsewhere, it is here only we have, by the Spirit of God, this most living and characteristic portrait of our Lord Jesus entering upon His ministry among men according to the purpose and ways of divine grace. Deeds of power are but the skirts of His glory. It is not, as Mark opens it out to us, teaching as nobody ever taught, and then dealing with the unclean spirit before them all. This is not the inauguration we have in Luke, any more than a crowd of miracles, at once the herald and the seal of His doctrine, as in Matthew. Neither is it individual dealing with souls, as in John, who shows Him attracting the hearts of those that were with the Baptist or at their lawful occupations, and calling them to follow Him. Here He goes into the synagogue, as His custom was, and stands up to read.

"And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias." What a moment! He who is God was become man, and deigns to act as such among men. "And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it is written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor." It is the man Christ Jesus. The Spirit of the Lord was not upon Him as God, but as man, and so anointed Him to preach the gospel to the poor. How thoroughly suitable to what we have already seen. "He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in you ears." A real man was there and then the vessel of the grace of God upon the earth, and the Scripture designates this most fully. But where could we find this most apt application of the prophet except in Luke, to whom in point of fact it is peculiar? The entire gospel develops or, at least, accords with it.

"They all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth," but immediately they turn to unbelief, saying, "Is not this Joseph's son?" "And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country." He had been already at work in what Matthew calls "his city;", but the Spirit of God here passes over entirely what had been done there. He would thus ensure the fullest lustre to the "grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we, through his poverty, night be made rich." This is what we have in Luke. Our Lord then shows the moral root of the difficulty in their minds. "Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow." Our Lord does not yet call a publican or receive a Gentile, as inLuke 5:1-39; Luke 5:1-39; Luke 7:1-50; but He tells of the grace of God in that word which they read and heard, but understood not. It was His answer to the incredulity of the Jews, His brethren after the flesh. How solemn are the warnings of grace! It was a Gentile, and not a Jewish widow, who during the days of Israel's apostacy became the marked object of God's mercy. So, too, "many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian." At once the hostile rage of the natural man is roused, and his jealousy of divine goodness to the stranger. Those that wondered the moment before at His gracious words are now filled with fury, ready to rend Him. "And they rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way, and came down to Capernaum, and taught them on the Sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power." It is the word that has especial prominence in Luke; and justly so, because the word is the expression of what God is to man, even as it is the word which tries him.

These are the two qualities, therefore, of the gospel: what God is towards man; and what man is, now revealed and proclaimed and brought home by the word of God. Thereby God's grace shines out; thereby, too, the evil of man is morally proved not merely by the law, but yet more by the word that comes in, and by the person of Christ. Man, however, hates it, and no wonder; for, however full of mercy, it leaves no room for the pride, the vanity, the self-righteousness, in short, the importance of man in any way. There is one good, even God.

But this is not all the truth; for the power of Satan is active on the earth. It was then too plain, too universal, to be overlooked; and if man was so unbelieving as to the glory of Jesus, Satan at least felt the power. So it was with the man who had an unclean spirit. "He cried out with a loud voice, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God." Remark here how Jesus, the fulfilment and fulfiller of God's word, accomplishes law and promise, the prophets and the Psalms. Devils own Him as the Holy One of God and again, we shall see presently, as the Anointed (Christ), the Son of God. In Luke 5:1-39 He is seen acting rather as Jehovah. "And Jesus rebuked him, saying hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not." This proves, therefore, that there was in Christ not only grace towards man's necessities, but power over Satan. He had vanquished Satan, and proceeds to use His power in behalf of man.

He then enters into Simon's house, and heals his wife's mother. "Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ." Here we coalesce with the earlier gospels. When this attracted the attention of men He departs. Instead of using what people call "influence", He will not hear of the people's desire to retain Him in their midst. He walks in faith, the Holy One of God, content with nothing that made man an object to obscure His glory. If followed into a desert place, away from the crowd that admired Him, He lets them know that He must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also; for therefore was He sent. "And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee."

And now we have, in the beginning, of the fifth chapter, a fact taken entirely out of its historical place. It is the call of the earlier apostles, more particularly of Simon, who is singled out, just as we have seen one blind man, or one demoniac, brought into relief, even though there might be more. So the son of Jonas is the great object of the Lord's grace here, although others were called at the same time. There were companions of his leaving all for Christ; but we have his case, not theirs, dealt with in detail. Now, from elsewhere, we know that this call of Peter preceded the Lord's entrance into Simon's house, and the healing of Simon's wife's mother. We also know that John's gospel has preserved for us the first occasion when Simon ever saw the Lord Jesus, as Mark's gospel shows when it was that Simon was called away from his ship and occupation. Luke had given us the Lord's grace with and towards man, from the synagogue at Nazareth down to His preaching everywhere in Galilee, casting out devils, and healing diseases by the way. This is essentially a display in Him of the power of God by the word, and this over Satan and all the afflictions of men. A complete picture of all this is given first; and in order to leave it unbroken, the particulars of Simon's call are left out of its time. But as the way of the Lord on that occasion was of the deepest value as well as interest to be given, it was reserved for this place. This illustrates the method of classifying facts morally, instead of merely recording them as they came to pass, which is characteristic of Luke.

"It came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that be would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering, said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." It is plain that the word of Jesus was the first great trial. Simon had already and long, toiled; but the word of Jesus is enough. "And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink." Next, we have the moral effect. "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus, knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." It was the most natural thing possible for a soul arrested, not merely by the mighty deed which the Lord had wrought, but by such a proof that His word could be trusted implicitly that divine power answered to the word of the man Christ Jesus. His sinfulness glared on his conscience. Christ's word let the light of God into his soul: "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man." There was real sense of sin and confession; yet the attitude of Peter at the feet of Jesus shows that nothing was farther from his heart than that the Lord should leave him, though his conscience felt that so it ought to be. He was convicted more deeply of his sinful state than he had ever been before. Already a real attraction had knit Simon's heart to Christ. He was born of God, as far as we can judge, before this. He had really for some while known and heard the voice of Jesus. This was not the first time, as John gives us to see. But now the word so penetrated and searched him out, that this utterance was the feeling of his soul an apparent contradiction to draw near to the feet of Jesus, saying, Depart from me, but not in the root of things an inconsistency only on the surface of his words; for his innermost feeling, was one of desire after and delight in Jesus, clinging to Him with all his soul, but with the strongest conviction that he had not the slightest claim to be there that he could even pronounce condemnation on himself otherwise in a certain sense, though quite contrary to all his wishes. The more he saw what Jesus was, the less fit company he felt himself to be for such an One as He. This is precisely what grace does produce in its earlier workings. I say not, in its earliest, but in its earlier workings; for we must not be in too great a hurry with the ways of God in the soul. Astonished at this miracle, Peter thus speaks to the Lord; but the gracious answer sets him at ease. "Fear not," says Christ; "from henceforth thou shalt catch men." My object in referring to the passage is for the purpose of pointing out the moral force of our Gospel. It was a divine person who, if He displayed the knowledge and power of God, revealed Himself in grace, but also morally to the conscience, though it cast out fear.

Then follows the cure of the leper, and subsequently the forgiveness of the palsied man: again the exhibition that Jehovah was there, and fulfilling the Spirit ofPsalms 103:1-22; Psalms 103:1-22; but He was the Son of man too. Such was the mystery of His person present in grace, which was proved by the power of God in one wholly dependent on God. Finally, there is the call of Levi the publican; the Lord showing, also, how well aware He was of the effect on man of introducing among those accustomed to law the reality of grace. In truth, it is impossible to mingle the new wine of grace with the old bottles of human ordinances. The Lord adds what is found in no gospel but Luke's, that man prefers, in presence of the new thing from God, the old religious feelings, thoughts, ways, doctrines, habits, and customs. "No man", He says, "having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better." Man prefers the dealing of law with all its dimness, uncertainty, and distance from God, to that divine grace infinitely more blessed, which in Christ displays God to man, and brings man, by the blood of His cross, to God.

In Luke 6:1-49 this is followed up. We see the Lord on the two Sabbath days: the defence of the disciples for plucking the ears of corn, and the well-nigh defiant cure of the withered hand in the synagogue. The Lord does not pluck the ears of corn Himself; but He defends the guiltless, and this on moral ground. We do not here meet with the particulars set forth dispensationally as in Matthew's gospel: though the reference is to the same facts, they are not so reasoned upon. There the subject is much more the approaching change of economy: here it is more moral. A similar remark applies to the ease of healing the withered hand. The Sabbath, or seal of the old covenant, was never given of God, thou, abused by man, to hinder His goodness to the needy and wretched. But the Son of man was Lord of the Sabbath: and grace is free to bless man and glorify God. Immediately after this, clouds gather over the devoted head of our Lord; "They were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus."

The Lord retires to a mountain, continuing all night in prayer to God. On the next day, out of the disciples He chooses twelve who were pre-eminently to represent Him after His departure. That is, He nominates the twelve apostles. At the same time He delivers what is commonly called the sermon on the mount. But there are striking differences between the manner of Luke and Matthew, in conveying that sermon to us; for Luke brings two contrasts together; one of which was dropped by Matthew at any rate in this, the beginning of his gospel. Luke couples the blessings and the woes; Matthew reserves his woes for another occasion, for that one would affirm that the Lord did not proclaim the woes of Matthew 13:1-58 on another and later occasion; but it may be safely said, that the first evangelist passed by all questions of woes for the discourse on the mount. Luke, on the contrary, furnishes both. Who can fail to recognize in this circumstance a striking mark; both of the evangelists, and of the special designs of Him who inspired them? Luke does not confine himself to the bright side, but adds also the solemn. There is a warning for conscience, as much as there is grace which appeals to the heart It is Luke that gives it and most gloriously. Besides, there is another difference. Matthew presents Christ alone as the lawgiver. No doubt greater than Moses He was; He was Jehovah, Emmanuel. Therefore He takes the place of deepening, enlarging, and ever bringing in principles so infinitely better as to eclipse what was said to them of old. Thus, while the authority of the law and prophets is maintained, there is now an incalculable change, in advance of all before, suitably to the presence of His glory who then spoke, and to the revelation of the Father's name More even was yet to be; but this was reserved for the presence in power of the Holy Ghost, as we are told inJohn 16:1-33; John 16:1-33.

Here, in the gospel of Luke, another course is pursued. It is not as One who lays down principles or describes the classes that can have part in the kingdom, as "Blessed the poor" etc.: but the Lord views, and speaks to, His disciples, as those immediately concerned; "Blessed ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God." It is all personal, in view of the godly company that then surrounded Him. So He says, "Blessed ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed ye that weep now"' etc. It was sorrow and suffering now; for He who fulfilled the promises, and psalms, and prophets was rejected; and the kingdom could not yet come in power and glory. "He must first suffer many things."

Thus all through it is not description alone, but a direct address to the heart In Matthew it was most appropriately a general discourse. Here it is made immediately applicable. That is, He looks at the persons then before Him, and pronounces a blessing upon them distinctly and personally.

For that reason, as also for others, He says nothing about suffering for righteousness' sake here In Matthew there are the two characters those blessed when persecuted for righteousness' sake, and yet more those who were persecuted for His name's sake. Luke omits the righteousness: all persecution here noticed is on account of the Son of man. How blessed it is in Luke to find that the great witness of grace acts Himself in the spirit of that grace, and makes this to be the one distinguishing feature. Both sufferers are surely blessed; each is in his own season precious; but the least portion is not that which characterizes the word of the Lord in his gospel who has mainly in view us who were poor sinners of the Gentiles.

In Luke the points pressed are not detailed contrasts with the law, nor the value of righteousness in secret with the Father, nor trust in His loving care without anxiety, but practical grace in loving our enemies, merciful as our Father is merciful, and so children of the Highest, with the assurance of corresponding recompence. Then comes the warning parable of the blindness of the religious world's leaders and the value of personal reality and obedience, instead of moralising for others, which would end in ruin. In the chapter that follows (Luke 7:1-50) we shall see the Lord still more evidently proving that grace cannot be tied to Jewish limits, that His was a power which the Gentile owns to be absolute over all yea, over death as well as nature.

But before we pass on, let me observe that there is another feature also that strikes us in Luke, though it does not call for many words now. It appears that various portions of the sermon on the mount were reserved for insertion here and there, where they would it in best for comment on or connection with facts. The reason is, that moral grouping of conversations which has been already shown to be according to the method of Luke. Here there is not at all the same kind of formal order of discourse as in Matthew. There were, I doubt not, questions asked during its course; and the Holy Ghost has been pleased to give us specimens of this in the gospel of Luke. I may show on another occasion, that this which occurs not infrequently throughout the whole central part of Luke is found in him only. It is for the most part made up of this association of facts, with remarks either growing out of what has occurred, or suitable to them, and therefore transplanted from elsewhere.

In chapter 7 the healing of the centurion's servant is recounted, with very striking differences from the form in which he had it in Matthew. Here we are told that the centurion, when he heard of Jesus, sent unto Him the elders of the Jews. The man who does not understand the design of the gospel, and has only heard that Luke wrote especially for the Gentiles, is at once arrested by this. He objects to the hypothesis that this fact is irreconcilable with a Gentile bearing, and is, on the contrary, rather in favour of a Jewish aim, at least here; because in Matthew you find nothing about the embassy of the Jews, while here it is in Luke. His conclusion is, that one gospel is as much Jewish or Gentile as another, and that the notion of special design is baseless. All this may sound plausible to a superficial reader; but in truth the twofold fact, when duly stated, remarkably confirms the different scope of the gospels, instead of neutralizing it; for the centurion in Luke was led, both being Gentiles, to honour the Jews in the special place God has put them in. He therefore sets a value on this embassy to the Jews. The precise contrast of this we have inRomans 11:1-36; Romans 11:1-36, where the Gentiles are warned against high-mindedness and conceit. It was because of Jewish unbelief, no doubt, that certain branches were broken off; but the Gentiles were to see that they abode in God's goodness, not falling into similar and worse evil, or else they also should be cut off. This was most wholesome admonition from the apostle of the uncircumcision to the saints in the great capital of the Gentile world. Here the Gentile centurion shows both his faith and his humility by manifesting the place which God's people had in his eyes. He did not arrogantly talk of looking only to God.

Allow me to say, brethren, that this is a principle of no small value, and in more ways than one. There is often a good deal of unbelief not open, of course, but covert which cloaks itself under the profession of superior and sole dependence on God, and boasts itself aloud of its leaving any and every man out of account. Nor do I deny that there are, and ought to be, cases where God alone must act, convince, and satisfy. But the other side is true also; and this is precisely what we see in the case of the centurion. There was no proud panacea of having to do only with God, and not man. On the contrary, he shows, by his appeal to and use of the Jewish elders, how truly he bowed to the ways and will of God. For God had a people, and the Gentile owned the people as of His choice, spite of their unworthiness; and if he wanted the blessing for his servant, he would send for the elders of the Jews that they might plead for him with Jesus. To me there seems far more of faith, and of the lowliness which faith produces, than if he had gone personally and alone. The secret of his action was, that he was a man not only of faith, but of faith-wrought humility; and this is a most precious fruit, wherever it grows and blooms. Certainly the good Gentile centurion sends his ambassadors of Israel, who go and tell what was most true and proper (yet I can hardly think it what the centurion ever put in their mouth). "And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue." He was a godly man; and it was no new thing, this love for the Jews, and the practical proof of it.

It will be observed, again, that Matthew has not a word about this fact; and cannot but feel how blessed is the omission there. Had Matthew been writing merely as a man for the Jews, it was just the thing he would have surely fastened on; but the inspiring power of the Spirit wrought, and grace, I do not doubt, also, in Matthew as well as in Luke, and thus only have we the fruit now apparent in their accounts. It was fitting that the evangelist for the Jews should both leave out the (Gentile's strong expression of respect for Israel, and dwell upon the warning to the proud children of the kingdom. Equally fitting was it that Luke, in writing for Gentile instruction, should especially let us see the love and esteem for God's sake which a godly Gentile had for the Jews. Here was no scorn for their low estate, but so much the more compassion; yea, more than compassion, for his desire after their mediation proved the reality of his respect for the chosen nation. It was not a new feeling; he had long low loved them, and built them a synagogue in days when he sought nothing at their hands; and they remember it now. The faith of this Gentile was such, that the Lord avows He had not seen the like in Israel. Not only does Matthew report this a weighty admonition even for the believers of Israel but also Luke, for the encouragement of the Gentiles. This common point was most worthy of record, and attached to the new creation, not to the old. How beautiful the scene is in both gospels' how much is that beauty increased when we more closely inspect the wisdom and grace of God shown out in Matthew's presentation of Gentile blessing and Jewish warning for the Israelites; and withal, in Luke's presentation of respect for the Jews, and the absence here of all notice of Jewish excision, which might so easily be perverted to Gentile self-complacency!

The next scene (verses 11-17) is peculiar to Luke. The Lord not only heals, but with a grace and majesty altogether proper to Himself, brings in life for the dead, yet with remarkable consideration for human woe and affection. Not only did He, in His own quickening power, cause the dead to live, but He sees in him, whom they were even then carrying out to burial, the only son of his widowed mother; and so He stays the bier, bids the deceased to arise, and delivers him to his mother. No sketch can be conceived more consonant with the spirit and aim of our gospel.

Then we have the disciples of John introduced, for the special purpose of noting the great crisis that was at hand, if not come. So severe was the shock to antecedent feeling and expectation, that even the very forerunner of the Messiah was himself shaken and offended, it would seem, because the Messiah did not use His power on behalf of Himself and His own followers did not protect every godly soul in the land did not shed around light and liberty for Israel far and wide. Yet who could gainsay the character of what was being done? A Gentile had confessed the supremacy of Jesus over all things: disease must obey Him absent or present! If not the working of God's own gracious power, what could it be? After all, John the Baptist was a man; and what is he to be accounted of? What a lesson, and how much needed at all times. The Lord Jesus not only answers with His wonted dignity, but at the same time with the grace that could not but yearn over the questioning and stumbled mind of His forerunner no doubt meeting, too, the unbelief of John's followers; for there need be little doubt, that if there was weakness in John, there was far more in his disciples.

Thereupon our Lord introduces His own moral judgment of the whole generation. At the close of this is the most remarkable exemplification of divine wisdom conferred by grace where one might least look for it, in contrast with the perverse folly of those who thought themselves wise. "But wisdom is justified of all her children," no matter who or what they may have been, as surely as it will be justified in the condemnation of all who have rejected the counsel of God against themselves. Indeed, the evil side as well as the good are almost equally salient at the house of Simon the Pharisee; and the Holy Ghost led Luke to furnish here the most striking possible commentary on the folly of self-righteousness, and the wisdom of faith. He adduces exactly a case in point. The worth of man's wisdom appears in the Pharisee, as the true wisdom of God, which comes down from above, appears where His own grace alone created it; for what depositary seemed more remote than a woman of ruined and depraved character? yea, a sinner whose very name God withholds? On the other hand, this silence, to my mind, is an evidence of His wonderful grace. If no worthy end could be reached by publishing the name of her who was but too notorious in that city of old, it was no less worthy of God that He should make manifest in her the riches of His grace. Again, another thing: not only is grace best proved where there is most need of it, but its transforming power appears to the greatest advantage in the grossest and most hopeless cases.

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." Such is the operation of grace, a new creating, no mere change or bettering of the old man according to Christ, but a real life with a new character altogether. See it in this woman, who was the object of grace. It was to the house of the Pharisee who had invited Jesus that this woman repaired attracted by the Saviour's grace, and truly penitent, full of love to His person, but not yet with the knowledge of her sins forgiven; for this was what she needed, and what He meant her to have and know. It is not the exhibition of a soul starting upon the knowledge of forgiveness, but the ways of grace leading one into it.

What drew her heart was not the acceptance of the gospel message, nor the knowledge of the believer's privilege That was what Christ was about to give; but what won her, and drew her so powerfully even to that Pharisee's house, was something deeper than any acquaintance with conferred blessings: it was the grace of God in Christ Himself. She felt instinctively that in Him was not more truly all that purity and love of God Himself, than the mercy she needed for herself. The predominant feeling in her soul, what riveted her was, that, spite of the sense she had of her sins, she was sure she might cast herself on that boundless grace she saw in the Lord Jesus. Hence she could not stay away from the house where He was, though she well knew she was the last person in the town the master of it would welcome there. What excuse could she make? Nay, that sort of thing was over now; she was in the truth. What business, then, had she in Simon's house? Yes, her business was with Jesus, the Lord of glory for eternity, albeit there; and so complete was the mastery of His grace over her soul, that nothing could keep her back. Without asking for Simon's leave, without a Peter or a John to introduce her, she goes where Jesus was, taking with her an alabaster box of ointment, "and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment."

This drew out the religious reasoning, of Simon's heart, which, like all other reasoning of the natural mind on divine things, is only infidelity. "He spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet." How hollow the fair-looking Pharisee was! He had asked the Lord there; but what was the value of the Lord in Simon's eyes? "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner." Indeed, she was a sinner. This was not wrong but that. The root of the worst wrong is just that depreciation of Jesus. Simon within himself doubted that He was even a prophet. Oh, how little thought he that it was God Himself in the person of that lowly man, the Son of the Highest! Herein was the starting-point of this most fatal error. Jesus, however, proves that He was a prophet, yea, the God of the prophets; and reading the thoughts of his heart, He answers his unuttered question by the parable of the two debtors.

I will not dwell now on that which is familiar to all. Suffice it to say, that this is a scene peculiar to our gospel. Might I not ask, where possibly could it be found harmoniously except here? How admirable the choice of the Holy Ghost, thus shown in displaying Jesus according, to all we have seen from the beginning of this gospel! The Lord here pronounces her sins to be forgiven; but it is well to observe, that this was at the close of the interview, and not the occasion of it. There is no ground to suppose that she knew that her sins were forgiven before. On the contrary, the point of the story appears to me lost where this is assumed. What confidence His grace gives the one that goes straight to Himself! He speaks authoritatively, and warrants forgiveness. Till Jesus said so, it would have been presumption for any soul at this time to have acted upon the certainty that his sins were forgiven. Such seems to me the express object of this history a poor sinner truly repenting, and attracted by His grace, which draws her to Himself, and hears from Him His own direct word, "Thy sins are forgiven thee." Her sins, which were many, were forgiven. There was no hiding, therefore, the extent of her need; for she loved much. Not that I would explain this away. Her loving much was true before, as well as after, she heard the forgiveness. There was real love in her heart already. She was transported by the divine grace in His person, which inspired her by the Spirit's teaching with love through His love; but the effect of knowing from His own lips that her sins were forgiven must have been to increase that love. The Lord is here before us as One that thoroughly sounded the evil heart of unbelief, that appreciated, as truly as He had effected, the work of grace in the believer's heart, and speaks out before all the answer of peace with which He entitled such an one to depart.

In the last chapter (Luke 8:1-56) on which I am to speak tonight, the Lord is seen not only going forth now to preach, but with a number of men and women in His train, children of wisdom surely, the poor but real witnesses of His own rich grace, and thus devoted to Him here below. "And the twelve were with him. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance." Here, too, is it not a wonderfully characteristic picture of our Lord Jesus, and so only found in Luke? Entirely above the evil of men, He could and did walk in the perfect calm of His Father's presence, but withal according to the activity, in this world, of God's grace.

Hence, He is here presented in our gospel as speaking of the sower, even as He was then scattering the seed of "the word of God;" for so it is called here. In the gospel of Matthew, where the same parable appears as introducing the kingdom of heaven, it is called "the word of the kingdom." Here, when the parable is explained, the seed is "the word of God." Thus it is not a question of the kingdom in Luke; in Matthew it is. Nothing can be more simple than the reason of the difference. Remark that the Spirit of God in recording does not limit Himself to the bare words that Jesus spoke. This I hold to be a matter of no little importance in forming a sound judgment of the Scriptures. The notion to which orthodox men sometimes shut themselves up, in zeal for plenary inspiration, is, to my mind, altogether mechanical: they think that inspiration necessarily and only gives the exact words that Christ uttered. There seems to me not the slightest necessity for this. Assuredly the Holy Spirit gives the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The differences are owing to no infirmity, but to His design; and what He has given us is incomparably better than a bare report by so many hands, all meaning to give the same words and facts. Take the chapter before us to illustrate what I mean. Matthew and Luke alike give us the same parable of the sower; but Matthew calls it "the word of the kingdom;" while Luke calls it "the word of God." The Lord Jesus may have employed both in His discourse at this time. I am not contending that He did not; but what I affirm is, that, whether He did or did not employ both, the Spirit of God did not give us to have both in the same gospel, but acts with divine sovereignty. He does not lower the evangelists into mere literal reporters, such as may be found by dint of skill among men. No doubt their object is to get the precise words which a man utters, because there is no such power or person to effect the will of God in the world. But the Spirit of God can act with more freedom, and can drive this part of the utterance to one evangelist, and that part to another. Hence, then, the mere mechanical system can never explain inspiration. It finds itself entirely baffled by the fact that the same words are not given in all the gospels. Take Matthew, as we have just seen, sating, "Blessed are the poor," and Luke, saying, "Blessed are ye poor." This is at once an embarrassing difficulty for the mechanical scheme of inspiration; it is none at all for those who hold to the Holy Ghost's supremacy in employing different men as the vessels of its various objects. There is no attempt in any of the gospels to furnish a reproduction of all the words and works of the Lord Jesus. I have no doubt, therefore, that although in each gospel we have nothing but the truth, we have not all the facts in any Gospel, or in all of them. Hence, the richest fulness results from the method of the Spirit. Having the absolute command of all truth, He just gives the needed word in the right place, and by the due person, so as the better to display the Lord's glory.

After this parable we have another, like Matthew's, but not relating to the kingdom, because this is not the point here; for dispensation is not the topic before us as in Matthew. Indeed, this parable is one not found in Matthew at all. What Matthew gives is complete for the purposes of his gospel. But in Luke it was of great importance to give this parable; for when a man has been laid hold of by the word of God, the next thing is testimony. The disciples, not the nation, were given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Enlightened themselves, the next thing was to give light to others. "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have." Thus responsibility in the use of light is enforced.

What follows here is the slight of natural ties in divine things, the approval of nothing but a relationship founded on the word of God heard and done. Flesh is valueless; it profits nothing. So when people said unto Him, "Thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to see thee; he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it." Still it is the word of God. It is not as Matthew puts it after the formal giving up the nation to apostacy and a new relationship brought in; here it is simply God's approval of those who keep and value His word. The place that the word of God has morally meets the mind of Christ.

But Christ does not exempt His witnesses from troubles here below. The next is the scene on the lake, and the disciples manifesting their unbelief and the Lord His grace and power. Passing, to the other side me see Legion who spite of this awful evil has a deep divine work wrought in his soul. It is not so much a question of making him a servant of God. That we have in Mark and much detailed. Here we have Him rather as a man of God; first the object of the delivering power and favour of the Lord; then, delighting in Him who thus made God known to him. No wonder when the devils were cast out the man besought that he might be with Jesus. It was a feeling natural so to speak, to grace and to the new relationship with God into which he had entered. "But Jesus sent him away saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great thing's Jesus had done unto him."

The account of Jairus's appeal for his daughter follows. While the Lord is on His way to heal the daughter of Israel, who meanwhile dies He is interrupted by the touch of faith; for whoever went to Him found healing. The Lord however while He perfectly meets the case of any needy soul at the present time does not fail in the long run to accomplish the purposes of God for the revival of Israel. He will restore Israel; for in God's mind they are not dead but sleep.